


From the Beginning: Aaron Livesy and Robert Sugden

by shamelessurbanbunny



Series: From the Beginning [1]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Canon Compliant, Canon Timeline, Canonical Character Death, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gay Sex, M/M, Secret Relationship, Self-Harm, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-05-21 01:14:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 105,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6032734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamelessurbanbunny/pseuds/shamelessurbanbunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Closely follows the relationship between Aaron and Robert. If you've ever wondered what the boys were thinking during their scenes together, or what happens off screen between them, then read on! This focuses mainly on the development of their relationship. Eventual smut ;-)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There is a break in the Robron storyline while Danny Miller has a vacation after some very intense camera time, and I need to find some way to fill my need to obsess over these boys. So I’m going back to the beginning. These chapters are meant to closely follow the storyline, and get a peek at what Aaron and Robert must be thinking in their scenes together. Also, I might explore what happens off screen between the two! 
> 
> Before I dive right into the story, I pinkie swear to do my best to properly capture British dialogue. In general I can catch the meaning of slang used in Emmerdale, but recreating it in my writing may be difficult. I’ve never tried writing a British character before, so I am bound to misuse a word or phrase at some point. If I do, please feel comfortable leaving me a comment and pointing out my error!
> 
> Thanks, and please enjoy!

Chapter 1  
First Impressions

 

19 November 2014

It was the stolen car that gave Robert the push he needed. For the first time since returning to Emmerdale, everything fell into place for him.  


He had emerged from the confines of the Woolpack, where he had indulged in a moment to drown his anger in bourbon and mouth off to Val. Now that he was done with his pity party he wanted nothing more than to march back over to the cafe so he could deck Lawrence. Robert wanted that so badly that his fists were clenched where they were tucked away in the pockets of his black leather jacket. He indulged in a moment of fantasy as he imagined his fist connecting with Lawrence’s face. Picturing the old man rolling on the floor nearly brought a smile to his face.  


It was then that Robert looked to the empty patch of road where his car should have been. Patting his pockets in search of his keys, Robert looked around, as if expecting the Audi to miraculously reappear. It didn’t take more than a second for him to realize it had to have been stolen. The Audi was shiny, white, and conspicuous in its absence among the manure and mud spattered cars within view.  


“Come on!” he shouted, throwing his hands up. On top of everything else - the giant arse he would soon be calling father-in-law, Andy making a mug of him by accepting the position as groundsman when Robert had only offered him the job because he thought Andy would refuse, and Chrissie falling for Lawrence’s selective heart failure and siding with him because she thought he was ill… For a moment, Robert felt thwarted and humiliated. The idea of having to walk back to the cafe with his tail tucked between his legs to hitch a ride home with Lawrence was repulsive. He’d almost prefer to walk back to the estate. There was a split second where all he wanted to do was rage and scream and tear apart everything and everyone around him.  


It was then that he had a moment of inspiration. Pulling out his phone, he opened the manufacturer's tracker app and grinned smugly as it located his Audi at the Barton farm. All his pent up frustration suddenly found an outlet. He would find the thief that had stolen his keys from under his nose, and he would turn all of his fury on him and make him pay. Robert laughed as he turned back to the pub to ask Val for a ride. Yes, he would make the thief pay.

******  


Slick satisfaction filled Robert as he barged into the makeshift chop shop. He watched the pair of thieves swing around to face him. As rotten as he had felt a mere half hour ago, he now felt like he was floating on air. Now he was in his element. Robert strutted forward, holding his phone up as he disabled the tracker that had lead him here.  


As expected, they tried to deny having stolen the car, despite being caught red handed. “Just found it parked here, mate. Has nothing to do with us,” one of them said. Robert almost admired with the way the young man met him look for look, seemingly nonchalant.  


Robert took great pleasure in going along with it the lad’s fib. “Cain’s handiwork then?” he asked, taking note of the almost imperceptible reaction both men had to the name. Robert was very familiar with Cain Dingle and his reputation, and he was right in taking the chance that hearing the thug’s name would alarm the would-be car thieves. He was really quite impressed that these two had the nerve to run a chop shop right under Cain's nose. “I wonder if Moira knows? I’ll check,” Robert said, pulling out his phone again.  


As expected, the threat of being exposed made the young man fold. Now came the good part. This was the moment when Robert got to make a deal. He wondered what he could get them to agree to. How far would they go, Robert wondered.  


“There’s no point, is there? I’m sure we can work something out.”  


“I don’t negotiate with idiots,” Robert taunted, smirking as he watched the shifty-eyed silent partner that was now coming forward to stand with his mate. Robert recognized him immediately from the pub. Seeing the two side by side, he guessed that the silent one was the actual thief. He had a scrappy, desperate look to him that spoke of a willingness to do a great many things that ordinary people would be put off by. Robert wondered about the other young man. Was he the brains of the operation?  


“Oh really?” the one said in response to Robert’s remark. His expression had shifted from resigned to angry in the space of a heartbeat. Blue eyes bore into Robert. Clearly this one had a temper. “That’s alright then. Negotiate with me.” Robert almost laughed at that. Was he implying his partner was the dumb one?  


“Really?” Robert said. “I reckon I’ll do what the hell I like, because I pretty much own you both now.” His words seemed to cut through the lad’s anger. He turned back to look at his partner, as if glaring at him. Robert decided then that stealing the car hadn’t been part of this one’s plans, because he was getting the impression the lad was angry at his partner. Wanting to get his attention back, Robert added, “Or rather, the police do.”  


He was really rather hoping for more banter, but the other man stepped forward then. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he said, trying to get Robert to put his phone down. Just to test him, Robert pretended to dial the police. “He hasn’t touched the car. Take it! I mean, there must be summit we can do to make this disappear,” he said desperately as Robert raised the phone to his ear. “I mean think about it! We could be useful to you.”  


Ah, the moment he had been waiting for! Robert gave an amused huff. “How?” he questioned as the scrappy fellow sidled closer.  


“You need something - or someone - taken care of…” here, he glanced back at his mate, as if looking for agreement. The lad looked away, clearly upset. “You come to us,” he said when he turned back to Robert. Those were the magic words. Robert put down his phone, pleased with the way this had played out.  


“Alright then,” Robert said. “You’ll do as I say, then. What’s your name?”  


“Ross,” the scrappy bloke reluctantly answered.  


“Right, and you?” Robert asked. The young man was still looking away, as if he would rather be anywhere else right now. Robert’s question made him look over with his angry blue eyes.  


“What’s it to you?” he demanded. Cute. He still thought he had room to get sassy.  


“I like to know who I’m dealing with,” Robert answered.  


“This here’s my mate Aaron,” Ross interjected. Robert was getting well tired of Ross. He preferred Aaron’s confident banter to Ross’ oily pandering. “See, we’re all getting on fine now.”  


“I don’t need to get on with anyone,” Aaron scoffed.  


“What you need is to do as you’re told,” Robert said. “Give me your number. I’ll be in contact with you soon. I know exactly what I want you two for.”  


Robert didn’t even have to think about it. He was going to make Lawrence pay. The man had faked a heart attack, thereby postponing Robert’s wedding to Chrissie. Then he had bought Home Farm to spite him because he knew Robert had no interest in returning to Emmerdale. And now, he had given away the position of Estate Manager to Nicola, even though he knew that Robert could do the job with his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back. Lawrence was an obstacle, and Robert was getting tired of dealing with the old poof.  


“I’ll be in touch,” Robert told the two thieves. He had plans to make. Lawrence needed a lesson, but no way was he going to leave it up to those two. He wouldn’t trust either man as far as he could throw them.

20 November 2014

Aaron had never been so disgusted in his life as he was this day. He tightened his grip on the back of Chrissie’s neck while she begged for him to let her go. There was bile on his tongue. It should never have come to this. It wasn’t supposed to come to this.  


The plan as Robert had laid it out to them was simple. He was going to make sure the house was clear and the cameras were off. Then Aaron and Ross would come in, bag some trophies, and let Robert pretend to be the hero who chased off a couple of thieves. It was a stupid plan, but no one was getting hurt. After this, Aaron was calling it quits. All he had signed up for was to break down some cars, but since then Ross had landed him in heaps of trouble. First he stole a car off of Debbie, and then he lead Robert to their doorstep.  


There wasn’t a one in the village who hadn’t heard the rumors about Robert Sugden after he returned to Emmerdale. Aaron now figured the rumors for true. Robert was a nasty piece of work, no matter how good he looked in his leather jacket. One thing was for sure though. He clearly thought he had everything figured out, but Robert Sugden was as much of an idiot and a screw up as was Ross.  


For starters, Lawrence White was home when Robert had told them the house was clear. There was nothing Aaron could do to hold Ross back. Soon the old man was knocked out cold, and Aaron and Ross were carrying him out to a shed. He felt no ill will toward Lawrence. Hadn’t the man suffered enough after Edna grassed on him all those years ago, getting him locked up for fooling around with another man? It didn’t seem right to leave him tied up on the dirt floor of the shed, but Aaron had to keep his priorities straight. The sooner he and Ross finished up this job, the sooner Robert could set Lawrence free.  


The man himself approached them after they had shut Lawrence away. The encounter left Aaron even more disgusted. Robert had strutted towards them with a big grin on his face, cocky as you please. Hearing about Lawrence getting thumped by Ross had Robert briefly showing concern, but it was gone in the next breath. Aaron could barely contain himself as he listened to Robert direct them to steal largely from Lawrence’s room, and leave his own room mostly untouched. Here was a man who cared for no one but himself.  


So when Ross had gone inside to start looting, Aaron had not been able to stop himself from asking, “Are you actually that desperate to impress him that you have to pay people to let you hit them?”  


“Oh no, the hitting is the least of it,” Robert had said lightly, but his face was all serious. “You deserve that for my car. Go on! Before I change my mind and make that call. Actually, do you know what? You really want to know?”  


“I really don’t,” Aaron had countered, not wanting to hear whatever pathetic excuse Robert had for his actions.  


“Well I’m going to tell you anyway, because I’m not having you, a thief, coming here and judging me.”  


“Listen, don’t worry about it.”  


“I want his respect. I’ve earned it, ten times over. But he doesn’t give it out, because he’s all about making you dance to his tune. Like last week, when I was about to show my respect for my dead mother, he’s busy faking a heart attack!” Robert had huffed, shaking his head angrily. In that moment, Aaron had felt like there was more beneath the arrogant, selfish front Robert put on. He had then ruined it by saying, “I have to say I’ll also enjoy smacking you in the face.”  


It was another point of disgust to Aaron that Robert expected him to run through the house looting, as gleeful as a child in a candy shop. Robert seemed almost affronted that Aaron was not holding up his side of the bargain. You’d think the stupid prick would be grateful to not have another person going through his things, but no. And then the whole deal went sour when Chrissie walked in, and that was what lead to this moment. Aaron was holding her captive, while Ross and Robert went upstairs to empty a safe.  


It was almost a relief when Chrissie got the jump on him and ran off. In the hectic, adrenaline fueled confrontation, Aaron took his chance to punch Robert as hard as he could. The bastard deserved it for putting his fiancee through this. It went against instinct to let Robert strike him back, but they had to make it look real. Then Aaron was running off with Ross.  


The entire thing left a bad taste in his mouth, and he would count himself lucky if that was the last time he ever had to deal with Robert Sugden. The man was toxic.


	2. The Robbery from Robert’s Point of View

20 November 2014

He had never meant for any of this to happen. Lawrence and Chrissie weren’t supposed to be home. A good businessman knew that any deal or plan had a few unforeseen elements. His plan had seemed foolproof, but Robert was prepared for minor setbacks. He was not prepared for the plan to fall apart completely.

When Aaron had told him that Ross had gone too far and struck Lawrence on the head, Robert had been troubled until Ross’ complete lack of concern had convinced him that Aaron was overreacting. Anyway, it wasn't like Robert could very well go and check on Lawrence himself. What if the old man woke up? This would be all for naught. Robert was sure Aaron had to be overreacting. For a thief, he sure was dragging his heels. First, the younger man wouldn’t even enter the house, cutting down the time he had to ransack the place by sneering at Robert and acting like he was better than him. It had rankled that some common thug was looking down his nose at Robert. Then, when he finally got Aaron inside, all he did was stand around glaring.

“Not seeing anything you like?” Robert asked impatiently as he found Aaron in the parlor, leaning his fists on the back of a sofa. What was the point of striking a deal with a couple of thieves if one of them was just going to stand around doing nothing?

“I’m not a thief,” Aaron said. His voice was rough and annoyed as Robert drew up alongside the younger man, watching him.

“Well, that’s part of the deal,” Robert told him. Was Aaron seriously trying to back out?

“Yeah, well he’s nicking enough stuff for both of us, now isn’t he?” Aaron stood straight and turned to face Robert, not backing down.

“Because he knows that’s all he’s good for.” Who did Aaron think he was? Robert had found him in a tractor shed, about to break down an Audi for some cash. Honest blokes didn’t get caught in situations like that, yet here Aaron was, fighting their deal every step of the way. Robert could understand a bloke like Ross. He was a common thief, ever hungry for more money and more action. Aaron was more of a mystery. There was no denying he was a criminal, but he acted for all the world like he wasn’t grateful to be making a bit of extra cash through a crooked deal.

Robert had only just urged Aaron and Ross to hurry up when he heard the front door open, and Chrissie’s voice carrying through the room. Robert felt a strong arm wrap around his shoulders, holding him in place. Ross grabbed up his asp and held it threateningly over Robert as Aaron ducked into a blind spot by the door to the parlor. Robert had a front row seat as Chrissie rounded the corner. He saw her face crumple with sudden fear, and her hands fly up to cover her mouth.

The horror and the complete terror she clearly felt at finding Robert held captive by a masked man sent the first wave of doubt tumbling through Robert. He was starting to think Aaron was right about Ross. For all that they were partners in crime, Aaron hadn’t shown much confidence in Ross so far.

Robert could not remember feeling less confident in one of his decisions as he watched Aaron leap from his hiding spot and grab Chrissie. Aaron’s grip on her looked cruel. Robert watched helplessly as Chrissie was tugged back against Aaron’s body, her long hair flying wildly about her face as she cried out. Robert was pulled back, the shorter man tightening his arm around Robert’s neck to hold him in place. He tried to regain control of the situation, yelling at Ross and Aaron to stay calm while still trying to maintain the act.

When Robert felt the asp jab him painfully in the back, his initial wave of doubt turned into a tsunami.

He was being held by an armed criminal, and the only insurance he had that he was in safe hands was the threat that Robert would call the police to report the car theft. But he couldn’t very well call the police if Ross was holding him captive. He had no choice but to place his trust in a couple of thugs.

His faith in Ross took a beating when he lead him away from Chrissie and Aaron on the pretense of leading him to the safe. The thief actually expected him to empty the safe for him! This was certainly not in the plans. At most, Robert had expected to have to replace costly trinkets from around the house. Ross and Aaron would not have made much off of anything inside the rooms Robert had greenlighted them to ransack. The safe was a different thing entirely. There was cash and jewelry in there. As loath as he was to give any of it up, Ross made a good point when he said it would look weird if nothing went missing from the safe they had supposedly come to empty out.

They had only just entered the foyer when Chrissie appeared, having gotten away from Aaron. Chaos ensued as the two thieves tried to subdue her and Robert tried to reassert his control over the situation. Despite being punched in the face by Aaron, after he had specifically told them that he would be the only one doing the hitting, Robert was glad to have the ordeal over. It had been far too real there at the end. He followed a distraught Chrissie outside as she searched for her dad, more upset over the throbbing in his cheek than the missing man. That is, until they found him. The sight of Lawrence writhing in pain, gasping for breath on a dirty ground, was chilling. Ross and Aaron had nearly killed the man, by the looks of it!

How could things have gone so wrong?

The ramifications of his involvement in this farce, should it ever be discovered, were enough to make Robert’s blood run cold. This was supposed to be a simple theft with no witnesses save for himself and two dumb thugs. He was supposed to “disrupt” the thieves and run them off, providing him with a heroic tale he could use to win over Lawrence, or at least get him to stop trying to sabotage his relationship with Chrissie. Instead, he was an accomplice to a theft gone wrong. If Lawrence died…

Robert stared ahead numbly as he waited with Chrissie at hospital, his fiance rocking back and forth in her seat. “He’ll be fine, he’ll be fine, he’ll be fine,” he could hear her whispering under her breath. She suddenly sat up and turned toward him, resting a hand on his knee. “Please tell me he’ll be fine,” she begged. It was almost as if she knew that it was Robert’s fault her father was in hospital.

“He will, he will be,” Robert was quick to reassure, rubbing a comforting hand along her back. As she turned away, covering her eyes tiredly, Robert found himself once again looking at nothing. He was in shock over this turn in events. “He has to be,” he said, because if Lawrence wasn’t fine - if he died - then what did that make Robert? He’d be labeled an accomplice to murder if this ever came out.

It seemed Robert was to experience the whole gambit of emotions that day. He had been so confident and pleased with himself that morning. His mood and made a descent from irritation at Aaron, to panic when Chrissie came home early, to fear that Lawrence might die. Robert felt almost giddy when the nurse came to tell them that Lawrence would be fine.

Robert was better than fine when it came to light that he had been right all along. The nurse confirmed that this was Lawrence’s first heart attack. As Robert had known all along, the old man had faked his heart condition in the first place, just to postpone the wedding. Which meant the scare that had prompted Lawrence to phone Chrissie during the memorial Robert had arranged on the anniversary of his mother’s death had been a fake too.

Robert watched as Chrissie bent over her father to kiss his head after Lawrence confessed to this being his one and only real heart attack. “I love you, and I’m glad you’re okay, but I don’t want to be in your company for a while.” Robert felt the heady rush of vindication, but he knew it would be a mistake to gloat. Chrissie could just as easily turn on him. “We could be talking months, or years, and um, you might want to consider downsizing, Dad. That’s a really big house for one.” Chrissie rushed out of the room, softly sobbing.

Revenge was truly sweet. Robert stepped closer to Lawrence’s bedside, taking the spot Chrissie had just vacated. He stood over the old man, relishing the way his eyes squeezed shut over his tears. Lawrence was clearly gutted. Now he would know what Robert felt, standing over his mother’s grave, only to be interrupted by Lawrence’s latest ploy for Chrissie’s attention.

Robert could have taken the opening and encouraged Chrissie in her anger toward Lawrence. He could imagine it now, a life without her father butting in all the time. But Robert had to think long term. Lawrence held the purse strings in the family. Chrissie had some money of her own, but Robert wanted more than to be a kept man. This was his chance to make good with her father. If he played this right, Robert would be hired back and given the promotion that should have been his all along. He’d go back to making money of his own, but at a higher salary.

Maybe his initial plan to earn Lawrence’s respect had turned into a bit of a nightmare, but this situation was still manageable. Robert would come out on top, in a better place than before all this. He would definitely count this venture as a success.


	3. Can't Stop Thinking of Robert

21 November 2014

Aaron carried his pint to a booth at the back of the pub. With his back to the wall, he could watch the people move around him. There was laughter and excitement on some of those faces. He could almost wish he were a part of it. Not for the first time, Aaron found himself missing Adam. He was a good mate. If he were here, Aaron was sure he would know exactly what to say to get Aaron’s mind off of the botched robbery.

Right on cue, Robert strutted in. He held himself proud and upright, the cut Aaron had gifted him with worn like a badge of honor on his strong cheekbone. He watched as Robert took a seat at the bar, immediately grabbing the attention of Diane, Vic, and even Chas. The birds flocked around him, cooing with concern. Aaron snorted at the sight, and at Robert’s easy manner as he lied through his teeth. The whole scene put him in a right mood, and he left his seat to go throw some water on his face.

Aaron became aware of Robert standing behind him as he toweled his hands dry. In the relative privacy of the toilets, Robert didn’t look nearly as cool about it as he had at the bar. “Shouldn’t you be playing the hero son-in-law?” Aaron asked. He didn’t bother to mask his contempt.

“Maybe, if you hadn’t gone too far. And the plan wasn’t to help yourself to Chrissie’s jewelry!”

Aaron tossed the used paper towel into the rubbish bin and turned to face Robert. He could hardly believe it. The man had asked to be burgled, yet here he was all upset over it. Like a child with spilled milk, that one. Aaron shrugged, knowing it would annoy Robert. “You wanted it to look real didn’t ya? That’s what you got.”

“Well tell Ross I want her mother’s ring back,” Robert demanded, his face stern.

“Tell him yourself, I’m done,” Aaron said, starting to push past him.

Robert shifted over, blocking his path. They were suddenly in each others space, the tension so thick he could feel it vibrating between them. “No, you’re done when I say!” Aaron raised his eyebrows at that. “Or do you want the police to find out about your little chop shop?”

He thought about shoving Robert out of the way, but decided against it. He didn’t trust himself not to give Robert’s left cheekbone a matching cut. Aaron shook his head and said, “You know I don’t. Just like you don’t want that lot to know we settled yesterday.” Aaron stared him down, almost glad they were having it out now. “I’m sure you wouldn’t look like a good hero then, would ya?”

“You think this is what I wanted?” Robert asked, his tone shifting. He suddenly sounded less angry and more… concerned. Genuine. Real. “Chrissie getting involved, getting pushed around? And Lawrence! He could have died!”

Aaron shrugged again. “Should have thought about that before you let something like Ross loose, shouldn’t ya?” He could see the moment his words struck a nerve. Robert had no one to blame for this but himself, and he knew it. Smirking, Aaron brushed past him.

He had won this round, but he couldn’t get Robert’s face out of his head. He’d looked almost stricken by Aaron’s parting shot.

 

24 November 2014

Aaron had barely slept the night after talking to Robert, turning the conversation over in his head. None of this was sitting right with him; not the burglary, not Lawrence ending up in hospital, and not Chrissie losing her dead mother’s ring to the likes of Ross. It had even seemed like Robert regretted his actions. A few days later, Aaron took it on himself to swing by Ross’ flat. He reasoned that if Ross hadn’t shifted the stolen ring yet, then it was an easy thing to return it, and if he had, then there was no point losing any more sleep over it.

Of course it wasn’t that simple. Ross had to be an arse about it and refuse to give up the ring. And he had the audacity to call Aaron “Golem”? The whole encounter was frustrating, so Aaron didn’t feel bad at all about returning to the flat while Ross was out and taking the ring off him. It wasn’t theft if the person he was taking it from had stolen it in the first place. And it wasn’t like Ross could very well go to the police to report Aaron for breaking into his flat.

No good deed ever went unpunished. Aaron found Robert in the pub and placed the ring down in front of him. The smarmy grin he got in return made him want to hit something. Gone was the shred of decency that had made an appearance yesterday. Today, Robert was back to his regular cocksure way. Aaron couldn’t help but laugh before turning away, completely disgusted.

If only that could have been the end of it. He should have expected Ross to realize the ring was gone. Aaron was at the garage working on replacing a flat tire when Ross rushed in. “What do you think you’re playing at?” he demanded, towering over Aaron. He straightened, glaring up at Ross from his seated position.

“I asked nicely.”

“And I said no.”

“Well that’s funny isn’t it, because I don’t take orders from you. Or from anyone, for that matter,” Aaron replied. Between Ross and Robert, Aaron had had just about enough. He turned back to the car and said, “There’s no point getting your knickers in a twist. It’s done now, I’ve given the ring back.”

“What are you doing him favors for?” Ross asked, sounding annoyed.

“Because nicking dead people’s jewelry was never part of the plan, was it?” Aaron said as he faced Ross again, completely frustrated by this point.

“Do you fancy him or something?” Ross asked, completely at a loss. Aaron stared at him, outraged. “Or is this your attempt at playing Robin Hood? Well news flash, pinhead!” Ross said, jabbing angrily at Aaron’s nearest shoulder. “You don’t steal from the rich and give back to the rich. Epic fail!” Aaron watched as Ross shook his head angrily and stormed away.

It was a long and difficult day at the garage. He left work feeling angry and tired. He couldn’t get Ross’ words out of his head. Why had he done Robert any favors? Because he had seemed genuinely upset about the pain he’d caused his fiance? But he can’t have been. Robert hadn’t exactly come over all grateful earlier, when Aaron had returned the ring. He’d been as insufferable as ever, in his fancy suit jacket over his fancy cashmere jumper, and not a single blond hair out of place.

Aaron was making his way back to the pub, hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie when he saw Robert up ahead, looking right at him. The rage inside spiked at the sight of that blond prick. Aaron quickly looked away and quickened his steps, vainly hoping that Robert would take the hint.

“Chrissie’s made up about the ring,” Robert called out as they drew even. Aaron kept walking, forcing Robert to trail behind him. “Saves us no end of grief,” Robert continued, as if he thought Aaron cared.

“Very happy for both of ya,” Aaron said, his tone dismissive.

“So, looks like you’ve really earned your scooby snacks,” Robert said. He had the nerve to reach out from behind Aaron and catch hold of his arm. Aaron finally stopped walking away, glaring down at Robert’s hand until it fell away from his biceps. He watched as Robert reached into his back pocket and pulled out some money. “Here! Have a pint on me.”

Aaron stared at the money for a long second. It felt almost surreal, how that moment seemed to last. He could feel the anger that had been bubbling close to the surface all week finally pour over him. Ross stealing that car off of Debs and then forgetting to disable the tracker on Robert’s Audi, Robert blackmailing them into the most dim-witted plan ever, burgling people who’d never hurt him, Robert and Ross both cornering him about the stupid ring… And now this moment - Robert handing over money like he was giving table scraps to some mangy cur.

It was just one second, but it lasted forever.

Aaron exploded into motion, lunging at a clueless Robert. His hands fisted into the lapels of that soft suit jacket, and he shoved Robert back against the stone wall they had been walking along. His arms were jarred when Robert collided with the hard surface. “I don’t need your stupid money! Who do you think you are?” Aaron growled, getting in the taller man’s face. Robert gaped at him, shocked.

“Alright mate! I’m only trying to say thanks!” Robert said, coming over like the wounded party.

“Yeah, well I don’t want your thanks and I’m not your mate! So don’t be calling on me to do any of your dirty work, because you and me are quits, right?” With a final shove, Aaron forced himself to let go before he could give in to the urge to deck him. He turned and started to stalk off.

“Fine! Just leave it, then,” Robert called.

Aaron stopped and jerked back around to face him. “Yeah, do yourself a favor and stay out of my way, because if I catch you lording it about near me again, I’m gonna wipe that smug smile right off your face! You understand me?”

He didn’t wait for Robert to get another word in.

 

25 November 2014

Aaron had a temper that ran hot, then hotter. He wasn’t one to just let something go. Maybe this was why he couldn’t get Robert off his mind. He was still thinking about the smug bastard the next day. Aaron might have been better off cutting loose and laying into him with his fists. At least that way he would have really gotten it out of his system. Yeah, Robert might have reported him to the police, but maybe not. After all, how would he explain Aaron’s motivation for hitting him if they weren’t even supposed to be on speaking terms with one another?

His feelings were in a seething jumble, and Eric Pollard was not helping it any. He was carrying on about his car, going out of his way to be a right proper arse. Aaron welcomed the distraction of a new car arriving at the garage, driving to a screeching halt nearby as Eric said, “I need it pretty sharpish. I have a special evening planned with Valerie.”

“Well I should be done with this soon,” Aaron said, gesturing to the car he had been working on. “I should have plenty of time for yours.”

“Should?” Eric asked sharply. “Should is not good enough!”

The Dingles had a long history with Eric, so Aaron did not hesitate to put the old man in his place. “Oh really? For who exactly, because I’m alright with it.” He glanced over at the new car and watched Chrissie step out of it with some trepidation. Aaron hadn’t seen her since he’d been an unwilling accomplice in the burglary, and he had been kind of hoping to keep it that way. “Can I help ya?”

“Yeah, it’s making a new noise I’m not sure it’s supposed to,” Chrissie explained as she drew near. Aaron marked the difference not being half mad with fear made in her.

“Excuse me, there was a queue,” Eric interrupted obnoxiously.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to cut in,” Chrissie said, reaching her hand out to brush Eric’s arm apologetically. The gesture seemed to mollify him.

“I know you’ve got a lot on,” Eric said. “How are you since, er…”

“... You witnessed my dad being outed?” she supplied.

“Well, er, since the burglary.”

“Alright, thank you,” Chrissie replied.

Aaron had been watching the two silently, but now he said, “It’s your brake pads.”

“But you haven’t even looked!”

“No, I know, but I heard it when you drove up. It’s only a quick job,” Aaron reassured her.

“But it’ll have to wait til mine's done!” Eric interjected.

Aaron saw his chance to do a good deed and spite Eric at the same time. “Come back in twenty minutes, and it’ll be ready for ya.”

“Oh!” Eric said. “So you’ll have to rush the job and charge her double?”

“Except I’m not going to charge her, because like I just said, it’s a quick job!” Eric shook his head, thwarted, and walked off, leaving Aaron alone with Chrissie. Really, fixing her brake pads was the least he could do after giving her such a scare, and being a part of a situation that had caused her dad to have a heart attack. She fixed her smile on him and handed him her keys.

“I’d like to buy you a drink after this- my way of saying thank you,” she said warmly.

“No need for a thank you,” Aaron replied. Hadn’t he said something similar to her fiance the other day? Chrissie was a lot harder to dissuade. Probably because she wasn't worried Aaron would punch her, like Robert had been. She hung around while he worked on her car, badgering him until he agreed to go to the pub with her once it was time for him to close up the garage. Sitting with Chrissie for drinks was as awkward as he guessed it would be. He had nothing to say for himself, and Chrissie was so genuinely grateful for his small act of kindness that it was embarrassing.

Aaron couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that they were sitting at the same table where he had passed her mother’s wedding ring over to Robert. Their responses to Aaron couldn’t be more different. Here was Chrissie, thanking him profusely, whereas Robert had treated the favor done to him as his due. It was all weird and confusing. Aaron finished off his pint in record time, not wanting to linger in Chrissie’s company. As he excused himself from the table, Aaron had to wonder how scum like Robert had managed to pull a bird like her. It was a mystery, and one he had no interest in solving.


	4. Dirty Little Grease Monkey

26 November 2014

“Aaron.” It was the first time Robert had said his name aloud. It was foolish, but the moment seemed to hang in the air. Saying that name seemed outrageously significant.

It had to be because this was the first moment Robert was acknowledging the man in front of Chrissie. He couldn’t help but envision the first and only time he’d seen his fiance and Aaron in the same room together. The mechanic-turned-burglar had held Chrissie crushed to his chest, threatening her. On the heels of that memory, he could see Aaron’s bearded face up close as he shoved Robert against a wall, dark blue eyes electric as he threatened him.

It seemed their second meeting, which Robert had not been aware of until just this moment, had gone much better for Chrissie. Aaron had apparently fixed her brake pads for free. She clearly did not recognize him from the burglary, and did not even know his name. In response to Robert saying Aaron’s name aloud, Chrissie simply said, “Yeah, if you say so.”

What did Aaron think he was playing at anyway? “And he didn’t charge you?” Robert questioned. “That’s… weird.”

“Or it just shows the world isn’t full of criminals.” She could not have known the irony of her words. Chrissie’s face was lively as she said, “It’s the first time I’ve left a garage with a warm and rosy glow!”

Robert raised his eyebrows, half laughing to hide the unease her words caused in him. He couldn’t say what was going on with him tonight. He felt almost jealous at Chrissie’s words. “I’ll have to thank him.”

“Yeah, well, already have! I bought him a pint. Which seemed to embarrass him, actually, so don’t, you know, go over the top or anything.” Robert watched as Chrissie walked away, oblivious to the upheaval she left in her wake.

Robert was left on edge, and it set the tone for his subsequent meeting with his brother. When Andy had first come to him to ask Robert to waive the first few months of rent at Wylie's farm for him, Robert hadn’t known how he wanted it to play out. Whether or not Robert agreed to Andy’s request, he had to keep sight of the fact that his brother and his tramp of a fiance only had the farm because they had some kind of deal going with Lawrence. The old man would never have given over the farm for such a pittance unless he was getting something in return. Given that up until quite recently, it had been Lawrence’s mission to separate Robert and Chrissie, it did not take a great deal of insight to realize that whatever their deal had been, it involved betraying Robert in some way.

What it came down to was that Robert could play dumb, ignore the fact that Andy and his father-in-law had united in their hatred of him, and agree to waive the first couple months of rent on the farm. Andy and Katie would owe him, which might prove interesting. Or, Robert could show Andy that he was not someone to be trifled with.

It satisfied the part of Robert that wanted to make Andy pay for betraying him to string his brother along, and then dash his hopes mercilessly. It was less satisfying when Andy opened the front door and effortlessly shoved Robert outside, making the taller man trip over his own feet. As Robert straightened, he looked up to find Aaron smirking at him. He had clearly seen Robert being kicked out of his own brother’s home. He watched, chagrined, as Aaron tucked his hands in the pockets of his dark hoodie and made off toward the Woolpack with an energetic step. 

Without making the conscious decision to do so, Robert found himself following Aaron to the pub. He found the dark haired man at the bar, already making inroads on a pint. “Very clever, giving Chrissie freebies at the garage. Are you trying to get caught?” Robert demanded, standing beside Aaron. He watched the younger man snort with wry laughter. His disregard for Robert’s temper was infuriating. “She thought it was weird,” Robert added.

“What, someone being nice to her for a change? There’s no surprise there with your family,” Aaron mocked, voice low and rough as he looked around the pub, as if everything around him was far more interesting than Robert. He took a swig from his glass, untroubled.

“What’s it to you?” Robert said sharply, glaring at Aaron. “Do you fancy her or something?” 

“No,” Aaron said shortly, unconvincingly. He watched as Aaron laughed, that curious blend of amusement and dark sarcasm mixing on his face. Even when he laughed he looked like he was scowling at the same time. Jealousy reared its ugly green head inside Robert. Was he that insecure about his relationship with Chrissie, that a common thug showing interest in his fiance bothered him so much? Robert decided to play it cool. No need to let on how bothered he was by Aaron’s interest in Chrissie.

So instead of raging at the man, Robert smirked. “You do,” he said, shrugging off Aaron’s denial. He nudged an elbow into Aaron’s arm, smiling. “Is that what you do for tips round back at the garage, eh? Dirty little grease monkey!”

Aaron finally looked up at him, making eye contact. “I don’t fancy your bird, mate,” he said, shaking his head.

“It’s alright, it’s allowed. I’m not going to deck you!”

Lifting his glass, he said, “Well, I’ll remember that for when I stop being gay, eh?”

Robert watched, stunned, as Aaron took a swig from his pint, slapped it on the bar, and walked away from him.

The casual way he’d confessed to that stayed with Robert on his way back to Home Farm. Robert wasn’t homophobic, and he didn’t care that Aaron was gay. It was just that Aaron didn’t seem the type. Perhaps he was bowing to stereotypes, but most of the openly gay younger men Robert had met were more like Finn Barton- in no way effeminate, but still somehow softer. There was nothing soft about Aaron. He was surly and temperamental, with a curious altruistic streak that seemed at odds with the rest of him.

Robert found himself at home in what seemed like a matter of seconds, his thoughts having wandered during the car ride. He went in, and found himself finishing off a perplexing night by setting a wedding date with Chrissie. He made love to her in their bed that night, and as she slept soundly beside him afterwards, Robert couldn’t help but think about a pair of dark blue eyes flashing at him from a scowling face.


	5. No Dingles for the Whites

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaron is my favorite Emmerdale character ever, but in my dabbling with this storyline, I’ve been drawn most strongly to Robert’s point of view. I think it’s because of the two, Robert’s reasons for starting the affair have always been a bit harder for me to understand. So in this chapter, I’m going to break away from the on-screen scenes, and explore Robert’s convoluted, lovable head.

28 November 2014

“Robert, are you okay?” Chrissie asked.

“Hmm? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’ve been very quiet. Is something troubling you?” Robert shook off his mood and came around the kitchen island that separated them. Chrissie was standing with her back pressed against the counter, holding a cup of tea. She had been talking to him about Lachlan, but Robert couldn’t remember much of anything she had said. Ordinarily he’d laugh off his inattention, make a joke of it, but now was not the time. She was still distraught after learning that Lachlan was photographing Belle Dingle, and was essentially stalking the girl. The Dingles had been a source of anxiety for Chrissie, and Lachlan’s continued fascination with Belle did nothing for Chrissie’s nerves.

Recognizing the tension in her face, and the unhappy set to her mouth, Robert sought to distract her. “I think what this family needs is a bit of good news, don’t you think?” Robert asked, drawing up alongside her so he could wrap an arm around her shoulders. Chrissie leaned in, sighing as she rested her head against his chest.

“We have been short on happy news lately,” Chrissie acknowledged.

“I was thinking we could start making those wedding plans. I know we talked about it a few nights ago, but I’m starting to think you’ve forgotten about it.”

“Hardly. I’ve just been a bit distracted.”

“Hey,” Robert said, pulling away slightly so he could look down into her face. He took his arm from around her shoulders so he could bury his hand in her sleek brown hair, and press his fingers against the soft skin at the back of her neck. He held her in place for a brief kiss. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”

“Well, I hope so,” she sighed. She gave him another kiss, then stepped away and placed her cup in the sink. “Anyway, I told Dad I’d meet him at the pub. We can talk about those wedding plans tonight.”

Robert watched Chrissie walk away. He still had the faintest taste of her lipstick on his mouth, but his thoughts had once again drifted in the direction of a certain dirty little grease monkey. Robert felt like his brain had been set on repeat, so that for the past couple of days, he just kept hearing Aaron say, “I’ll remember that for when I stop being gay.” He kept seeing Aaron sitting on the bar stool, leaning in close to Robert, almost conspiratorially, so he could say those words. He kept smelling Aaron when he leaned in close, an intoxicating mix of ale, engine oil, and some indefinable scent that was uniquely his.

Realizing that minutes must have gone by since Chrissie left, and he was just standing there like an idiot, Robert pushed himself into motion. He grabbed his keys and decided to go for a drive. He wasn’t entirely surprised when his drive landed him in front of the garage. Aaron was working today, along with that other mechanic, Dan. They were clearly taking a break, the both of them leaning up against a black VW parked in front of the garage. Aaron had his arms crossed over his chest, with one foot resting against the side of the car, making him look like he was intentionally posing for Robert. Aaron’s dark head was lowered. Robert could see his breath steaming the cold air every time he spoke.

Cracking open his window, Robert could barely make out Aaron asking the other mechanic to go get him a coffee. The other man gave in with a lot of grumbling. Whatever Dan had said under his breath made Aaron laugh.

This was a laugh devoid of the scorn that Robert was used to seeing on Aaron’s face. The younger man looked happy as he reached up to rub his hand against his beard. His blunt fingers covered the smile on his lips, and when the hand finally lowered, it was gone. Robert watched as Aaron returned to work, bending over the engine of the VW. His blue coveralls pulled tight across his backside as he bent over.

Robert felt himself harden at the sight.

“I’m as bad as Lachlan,” he muttered, thinking of the way Chrissie’s son had been following Belle Dingle and taking pictures of her from around corners and behind foliage. All Robert was missing was the camera, and then his degeneration into a hot blooded adolescent would be complete. At this rate, he’d be giving his fiance more reason to fret over the Dingles. For all that Aaron went by the last name Livesy, he was clearly one of them. He had all the Dingle trademark qualities- a quick temper, rough edges, lack of respect for authority, and a disregard for the law.

Robert would be lying if he denied that those qualities, wrapped in that packaging, were extremely attractive. But if Belle was one of Lachlan’s bad ideas, then Aaron was an even worse idea for Robert.

Turning his car back on, Robert went for a real drive this time, heading away from the village and out onto the quiet stretches of road bordered by tired farmland. Honestly, Robert was more than a little irritated with himself. He was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. He could only think it was because his attraction to Aaron had blindsided him. One night he was irritated at the man because he thought Aaron was interested in Chrissie, and then the next morning he was jerking off in the shower to thoughts of him in his blue coveralls.

Robert was straight, but like any good businessman, he was opportunistic, and that quality translated to his sex life as well. Mostly, Robert had only flirted with other men. Oftentimes he flirted to seal a deal and it was a rare moment when he flirted with a man out of genuine interest. There had been three times in the past that the circumstances had been just right, and things had gone beyond mere flirting.

Well, circumstances were certainly not right this time. It was too risky. Had things been different, Robert would approach Aaron, scratch the itch, and be done with it. After all, he wasn’t a married man yet. If there was a time to have needs met, it was now or never. He would be faithful once he said his marriage vows. Chrissie was a full package deal, and he’d be stupid to ruin a good thing. With her, he got a beautiful woman on his arm, a fast car, a job he excelled at, money, and a ready-made family. It was all or nothing with Chrissie, and he was in it one hundred percent.

Aaron wasn’t some stranger Robert could have, with the reasonable expectation that he’d never see that man again in his life. Aaron lived in the village. He had easy access to Chrissie. And he was a Dingle, so Robert wouldn’t put it past him to use blackmail for some extra cash.

There was no way he could risk it.

It felt like he had come to some kind of resolution, so Robert turned around and headed back toward Emmerdale, hoping to get back to Home Farm before Chrissie returned. When he entered the village, he again drove past the garage. He did not pull over this time, but he did catch sight of Aaron. Dan had returned, and the two were back to squabbling. Robert drove past. In his rear view mirror, he caught sight of Aaron laughing again. Robert filed the image away to think about later, preferably while he was in the shower, or maybe even in bed with Chrissie. It’s not like she would ever know.


	6. Aaron's Into Blondes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get to some of the good stuff at the end of this chapter! I promise, the next chapter will have smut!
> 
> Fair warning- there's sexy times with the wrong blond in this chapter, but I keep it brief and follow up with sexy times with the right blond ;-)

4 December 2014

The taxi came to a stop in front of the Woolpack. Aaron opened his eyes, then immediately closed them again. “This is your stop, right,” the driver pointed out.

“Yeah, alright,” Aaron sighed. The pain that stabbed through his eyeballs when he cracked his lids open made him want to be sick. Taking small breaths through his mouth to settle his stomach, he levered himself out of the taxi and had to take a moment to reorient himself. Once the world stopped slipping and sliding around him, Aaron made his way to the door. Luck was not with him this morning. Chas was eyeing him, taking in his pallor and yesterday’s clothes. It wasn’t difficult to come to the right conclusion about where he’d spent the night and what he had been up to.

Aaron reached up and threw his hood over his head as he passed Chas to get inside. Fuck it. Whatever she had to say could wait until after he’d had some sleep.

Once he was in the dark confines of his room, Aaron toed off his shoes and fell into bed fully clothed. In the moments before he fell asleep, his thoughts filled with the image of a gorgeous blond. Sadly, it wasn’t the blond he’d just spent the night with.

 

2 December 2014

On top of everything else, the last thing Aaron needed was to be drawn back into the life of Robert Sugden.

The police had come nosing about the village, and Aaron had no choice but to come clean to Cain about the chop shop that Charity and Ross had set up in Moira’s tractor shed. That lead to coming clean to Debs about the car Ross had stolen from the garage. Aaron felt worse about agreeing to be a part of Charity’s plan when he saw how betrayed Debbie looked. She was his cousin, and even though Aaron had never meant to take from her, he’d been a part of it nonetheless.

He really didn’t blame Debbie for taking the issue up with his mum. It was no better than he deserved, really. Chas wasn’t too happy with him, but they were able to set it aside so they could celebrate Cain’s birthday. Then Moira had been run off the road by that kid, Kirin.

It was one thing after another. Facing off with Robert again was almost like the cherry on top.

Chrissie, or course, was oblivious or she wouldn’t have asked Aaron to find Robert a car as a wedding present. For some reason, Robert just happened to walk past the garage while Chrissie was there. Of course he came to investigate. And of course he stayed for a chat after his fiance left.

“What was that?” Robert asked- but only after he checked over his shoulder, to make sure Chrissie had walked away.

Aaron gave an exaggerated frown as he shook his head. “You tell me.” Let the man stew a bit. He deserved it for the way he treated those closest to him. If there was one thing Aaron knew, it was that family stuck with you if you were loyal to them. You didn’t mess about with the ones you were counting on to have your back through thick and thin. And wasn’t that what marriage was about? Having each others backs?

“Quit the games, will ya?” Robert said.

“Oh, me playing games, is it?” Aaron asked. “I’m not the one hiring people to frighten the life out of her before I get married to her.” Robert didn’t seem to have a response ready for that. “She asked me to get you a car as a present, actually. You know, what people do when they’re in love?” he added, as if Robert were dimwitted.

“And I’m supposed to feel guilty,” Robert stated, finally cottoning on. It only took Aaron one look at Robert’s face to know that he didn’t. Feel guilty, that is. For a lying scumbag, Robert’s face was surprisingly open. Aaron had no trouble reading that face, or those eyes, and he wondered how Chrissie could be left in the dark.

“I don’t believe you,” Aaron said, incredulous. He shook his head and turned away in disgust.

“Chrissie’s fine!” Robert called, making Aaron turn back to face him. “She’s a survivor. And like they say, whatever doesn’t kill ya…”

“So scaring her half to death- that’s alright is it?” Aaron asked, furious. Robert seemed to realize that his words had failed to bring Aaron around to his way of thinking. “Well here’s an idea,” Aaron said, “why don’t you put it in your wedding vows, eh?” He turned and went into the garage, leaving silence in his wake.

He could only hope Robert was giving his words some thought. He wasn’t even sure why it mattered to him. Maybe it was because he had seen brief moments where Robert actually seemed to care. He wasn’t a complete waste of space as a human, but if he didn’t learn to think things through, he was going to make a right mess of things. Aaron knew from personal experience that sometimes, you were your own worst enemy.

Aaron could still remember clearly how he’d been after his father had done him a favor and kicked him out. He’d come to live in Emmerdale with Chas and the Dingles. They were suddenly all too happy to bring him in, call him family, and act like they were entitled to his loyalty. Aaron had resented them for it, and he’d acted out. They were the only ones looking out for him, and he threw it back in their faces time and again. It had come to a head when Chas had cornered him for selling off drugs he’d stolen from Paddy’s office. He’d shoved her, and would have done worse, but Chas had fought back and then they were interrupted by Zak.

It was Zak who had given him a tough lesson that day. He made it clear that Aaron had gone beyond what was acceptable, and if he continued to act out, he’d be left alone with no family to watch his back. He’d laid down three rules that Aaron knew he was never to cross, or risk losing his family forever. Never, ever hit a woman, don’t bring drugs into your house, and if you have to rob, take only from the well to do.

It suddenly occurred to Aaron that this was why the robbery, and the events afterwards, had left Aaron feeling out of place. He never hit Chrissie, but he’d threatened her. He’d also lifted the ring off of Ross, who certainly wasn’t well to do. In the last couple of weeks, Aaron had broken two of the rules Zak had laid down for him all those years ago. And it was all because of Robert Sugden.

This realization came well after his chat with Robert. It left Aaron more irritated than before. He knew Zak would never turn on him now, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth. Aaron angrily slammed the bonnet of the car he’d been working on.

“Do punters pay extra for you to rough up their cars?” Speak of the devil. Robert Sugden was back at the garage to bother him.

“No, just their fiances,” Aaron quipped as he went to Debbie’s office to fill in some paperwork.

Robert sighed as Aaron picked up a clipboard and pen. “I suppose I deserved that.”

“So what do you want anyway? I’m busy.”

“To bring you this,” Robert said, lifting the cup holder in his hands. Aaron frowned at the coffee, then looked up and caught Robert’s gaze. “And to say sorry, for being a jerk.” Aaron looked down, nodding his head as Robert spoke; trying to gather his thoughts and figure out what this all meant. “It meant a lot to Chrissie, getting the ring back. I should’ve been more grateful.”

Aaron nodded again, then looked up at Robert. It seemed like he may have learned his lesson, like Aaron had learned back when Zak had given him a set down. But what exactly did Robert mean, showing up at the garage with coffee for Aaron? “So are we done?” Aaron said, trying to give Robert the hint that he should leave.

He watched as a half smile lifted Robert’s lips on one side. It was charming, and Aaron felt his stomach tighten in response. Robert was a handsome devil, no denying that. “Can we start over?” he asked.

“Why?”

“Because I’d like us to get on.” Aaron nodded and smirked. He didn’t believe Robert for a second. It was far more likely that he was trying to butter Aaron up for the next job. “And because you’re going to be finding me my dream car.”

“You don’t deserve her, do you know that?” Aaron finally asked, looking down at his clipboard since looking at Robert’s pretty face was distracting.

“Chrissie? I know,” Robert said. “So… mates?” Aaron glanced up and saw that Robert was holding his hand out to him. Well, Aaron didn’t care how pretty or distracting the man was. Shaking hands with him would be like shaking hands with the devil.

“I’ll think about it,” Aaron finally said, turning back to Debbie’s office. Robert placed one of the coffee cups down on the counter for him, making Aaron raise an eyebrow and smirk as Robert walked away.

 

3 December 2014

If there was one thing Aaron was learning about Robert, it was that the man ran hot and cold. One moment he was vulnerable and nearly begging Aaron to get Chrissie’s ring back. The next, he was accepting the ring as if he never had a doubt Aaron would fetch it back for him.

One moment he was bringing Aaron a cup of coffee and apologizing for being such an arse. The next… this.

Granted, Aaron had walked in on what was clearly a family moment. He was all set to give Robert, Diane, Vic and Andy some privacy, even after Diane invited him in, but then Robert had to open his mouth. Aaron could hardly remember what Robert had said, but it was clearly dismissive. So he had invited himself in, which seemed to be the last straw for Robert. Whatever problems they were trying to work out, Robert had given up and left the room.

Shortly afterwards, Aaron found Robert idling in his car. He was staring listlessly ahead, as if whatever had happened at dinner with his family was troubling him. Aaron found himself slowing down as he got closer, and then Robert’s window was rolling down for him.

“Sorry for crashing your dinner,” Aaron said.

“It wasn’t exactly going well before you arrived.”

“I always wanted a brother until I met you two,” he said, drawing nearer until he had a good view of Robert through the window. Robert smiled at the joke, so Aaron said, “Listen, I’m going into town later for a beer.”

“Yeah?”

Aaron shrugged, suddenly feeling awkward. “Join me if you want.”

“You what?” Robert’s face shifted, and he went from vulnerable to defensive in a second.

“You know, just a drink,” Aaron said, already regretting the invitation.

Robert laughed, and it wasn’t pleasant. “Why on earth would I want to go anywhere with you?”

Aaron bit his lower lip and nodded. He should have expected this from Robert. Aaron didn’t take it personally. He just shrugged and said, “Suit yourself.” He went home, took a shower, put on some clean clothes, and had a few beers before he went into town to try and wipe the day from his mind.

He found himself at Bar West, which was comforting in its familiarity. Aaron had gone through three whiskeys before he even started looking around. Normally he preferred dark haired men, but tonight it was a tall blond that caught his eye. He wasn’t too keen to wonder why that was. Aaron ordered the man a drink and had the bartender offer it to him. He waited as the blond accepted the drink, looked over at Aaron, and smiled when he apparently liked what he saw. The blond walked over and introduced himself. “I’m Chris.”

“Aaron.” Chris’ hair was kept short, cut close to his head much like Aaron’s. His face was smooth. Dark brown eyes were roaming over Aaron’s face, then much lower before coming back to Aaron’s eyes. He had a feeling he was definitely going to pull tonight.

“I saw you here last week,” Chris said, talking loud to be heard over the music. “You come here often?”

“From time to time,” Aaron said with a shrug. “If I like what I see.” Chris smirked, looking somewhat full of himself, and suddenly Aaron wanted him. It was a funny thing to set him off, but Aaron didn’t second guess it. Normally he’d take a bit more time getting to know a bloke, but the vibes he was getting from Chris said it was a sure thing. “Let’s get out of here, yeah?”

Chris laughed, expression smug. Aaron’s interest only sharpened at that. “You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t ya?”

“I know what I want, and I think you do too.” Chris nodded, still smiling, and tipped his head back to finish the drink Aaron had bought him. Aaron downed his fourth whiskey, then pulled Chris out of the bar after him. They took a taxi to Chris’ flat, and by the time they got there, Aaron wasn’t interested in waiting any longer. He pressed his hard length against Chris’ arse as the blond worked to unlock his door, drawing a desperate moan from the man. Once they were in, they were pressing feverish kisses together as Aaron was lead to the bedroom. Clothes were discarded, lube and a condom were pressed into Aaron’s hands, and then he was shoving Chris onto his knees and quickly preparing him. Finally Aaron worked himself in while moans poured out of his partner’s mouth. It was exactly what Aaron needed after the day he’d had. After the week he’d had. No, after the month he’d had.

He set the pace and let himself forget about Robert fucking Sugden.

 

4 December 2014

Aaron woke sometime in the afternoon in his own bed with a hard on. Rubbing his face and beard with one hand, he got up out of bed with some difficulty and managed to hide his state behind a towel on his way to the shower. It wouldn’t do him any good if his mum or Diane saw him like that. He took care of it in the shower, trying to remember the features of the bloke he’d spent the night with. Besides the blond hair and the height, Aaron drew a blank. Instead, Robert’s face took up the blank space. Aaron shrugged and went with it. He’d like to see the smug bastard’s face if he knew what Aaron was up to now.

A short while later, he was entering the pub through the back entrance behind the bar and eating from a bag of crisps. “Would that be your lunch, or your breakfast?” Chas asked from behind the bar as Aaron came around to one of the stools.

“Haven’t decided yet. Either way, I’ll have a pint to go with it.”

“Nice.” Chas had a distinct tone in her voice, one that clearly conveyed motherly disapproval.

“Because you’re an angel?” he pointed out as she grabbed a glass. Chas paused for a moment, sharing a look with her son.

“Right, we’ll leave it there, shall we? Otherwise I might start asking questions about where you spent the night,” she said, with an insincere smile as Aaron’s phone beeped to let him know he’d gotten a text.

Aaron pointed at her, like she’d just said something smart. “Wouldn’t want to do that,” he said as he put down his bag of crisps and started digging in his jeans pocket for his phone.

“Like you’d tell me if I did.” She eyed her son as he checked his texts. “Would that be someone checking that you got home okay?”

Aaron barely heard her. The text was from an unknown number. “It’s Robert. I’ve broken down on my way to a meeting. Can you come take a look?” Since when had Robert had his number? And why hadn’t he called the garage? Aaron finally glanced up and saw his mum looking at him. He vaguely recalled her asking him a question. “What?”

“Oh, never mind, I’ll just pour you a beer.”

“There’s no need,” Aaron said as he stood. “I got a call out.” He shared a bit more banter with her on his way out, and was somewhat cheered up by her antics. When he left the pub to go get the truck from the garage, he found the sun was shining brightly. It was the kind of day that would be perfect for hanging out with Adam. But Adam was locked up, so Aaron probably would have been at loose ends without that text from Robert. Still, Aaron was glad Robert had found a lay-by that wasn’t more than eight kilometers from the village. It was an odd road for him to have broken down on. The text had said Robert was on his way to a meeting, but this quiet road cutting through a couple of fields wasn’t on the way to Leeds. It was a quick drive there, and Aaron pulled over in front of Robert’s car before hopping out of the truck to meet him.

This was shaping up to be another frustrating encounter with Robert. When Aaron tried the key in the ignition, the engine purred eagerly to life. He took a look at the engine, but it all checked out. At one point Robert - the same man who’d scoffed at Aaron’s company the other day - offered him a pint later, to make up for calling him on his day off. Something seemed off about the whole encounter, and Aaron was only too happy when he was able to say, “Nothing wrong with it as far as I can see.”

“Right,” Robert said. If Aaron hadn’t known any better, he’d say Robert was nervous. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, standing close enough that Aaron could smell him. How dumb was this? Not only did Robert look expensive, but he smelled it too. The scent of his leather coat and a trace of masculine perfume caught at Aaron’s nose, and he couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

“I think I’m done here,” Aaron said, irritated at himself. He had one fantasy about the man - just the one - and suddenly he was sniffing him? He brushed past Robert.

“Hang on!”

“What?” Aaron asked sharply, turning around to look at him.

“Yesterday… I shouldn’t have snapped at you the way I did.”

Aaron stared at him. Seriously? Was the man mental? Angry one moment, apologetic the next! “Right, whatever. Is that it?” Aaron said dismissively. He started walking away again.

“There’s nothing wrong with the car,” Robert said.

“Yeah, I know, I just told you that.” Aaron was starting to get more than frustrated. He was edging toward anger now.

“No, I mean I knew there was nothing wrong with the car. I made it up.”

“So what, you just like wasting my time, do you? Is that how you get your kicks?” Aaron demanded. What was Robert playing at?

“What do you think?” At least Robert was starting to look upset as well. Aaron really didn’t think he should be the only angry one here.

“I think I don’t like being messed around.” His new goal in life was to make it back to the truck before he couldn’t hold it back anymore. Punching Robert sounded really good right about now.

“Don’t!” Aaron turned on Robert. He might have swung then and there, except Robert suddenly looked serious. He didn’t look like he was just trying to wind Aaron up. His blue eyes were dark with some kind of emotion, and they scanned Aaron’s face as if searching for something. “I’m… I’m not messing you around,” he said softly, voice deep.

“Really? And how’s that?” Aaron asked, deciding to give Robert a chance to explain. Right now, Aaron was having a hard time coming up with an explanation that made any kind of sense.

“Because you know why we’re both still here.” Robert’s gaze seemed to linger on Aaron’s lips.

Was he…? No, Aaron must be reading him wrong. He shook his head, and said, “Do I? You tell me.” Because if Aaron was wrong about this, if he was reading Robert wrong (and facts would support him being wrong about this), Aaron stood to put himself in a really awkward position by making a move on a man who was not only engaged, but engaged to a woman.

Robert came closer, getting into Aaron’s space. That scent of leather and perfume once again caught at Aaron’s nose. He’d never met another man who smelled like that. Robert’s face was suddenly close enough to kiss, close enough to drown out the sunny green fields around them. Aaron watched his pale lashes flutter as Robert seemed to gaze at Aaron’s lips. It brought his own attention to Robert’s lips. They were pink and full, and they looked soft to the touch.

“Forget it,” Robert said, turning his face away. The moment seemed to shatter, and it was as if he and Robert had been standing in a vacuum that had suddenly been punctured around them, letting the air rush in. It left Aaron breathless for a moment.

Had he imagined it all? Aaron stepped back, away from Robert. “Fine,” he said, voice rough. “See you around.” What else was he to say after misreading a moment so completely? He’d almost kissed Robert! Aaron walked away, confused by this entire meeting.

He heard Robert rushing up behind him a split second before strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders and forcibly turned him around. Aaron was prepared for Robert to deck him for nearly kissing him. Instead, Robert’s hands rose, grabbed Aaron’s face between them, and held him still while Robert mashed his lips against Aaron’s.

It was a shock.

Aaron stood there, Robert’s lips moving against his as his brain tried to catch up. He had automatically reached up and wrapped his hands around Robert’s wrists, ready to pull him away if it came to blows. Aaron adjusted his hands, curling them into the lapels of that leather jacket. It was supple under his fingers, warmed by the sun and by the heat rolling off of the body it encased. Robert pulled away slightly, letting them both take a breath. It was that moment Aaron needed to recover from the unexpectedness of it all.

He wasn’t sure which of them closed the distance again. All he knew was that suddenly his lips were on Robert’s once more, and it was even better than the first time. He could feel hot breath against his cheek. Robert was sweet against his lips and on his tongue, and Aaron swallowed him down. His heart was pounding, and everything just felt so right. He guided them toward his truck, pushing Robert up against it while he opened the door for them. Then he was tugging that delicious leather jacket off of Robert’s shoulders.

“Wait, wait, no,” Robert said, pulling away and shrugging the jacket back on.

Aaron pulled back. “What?” he whispered, eyes taking in the sight of Robert’s lips, swollen and pink from kissing.

“I don’t know,” Robert said. “This is a mistake.” Suddenly it was Robert walking away, and Aaron chasing after him.

“This isn’t your first time, is it?” Aaron asked, following the tall blond. Robert just glanced at him over his shoulder, but kept walking to his car. “I thought not! It’s pretty obvious.”

“What is?” Robert demanded, turning around sharply to face Aaron.

“You’re gay.”

“I’m not gay!” Aaron didn’t buy it for a moment. Not with the way Robert had just kissed him. His thoughts were flying every which way, and he couldn't even say what he was thinking anymore. He hadn't expected any of this to happen when he'd gotten that text.

“Really.”

“I’m engaged!” Robert pointed out.

“That proves nothing.” The look on Robert’s face was enough to let Aaron know he was pushing too hard. Robert wasn’t ready to face this, whatever it was. He made to open his door, and Aaron reached out to grab his shoulder. “No, Robert, wait!” Suddenly his hold on Robert’s shoulder was shifted, and Aaron was slammed against the side of Robert’s car. He held still, face close to the other man’s, waiting to see what Robert would do. He chose to avoid the situation, shoving Aaron aside and climbing into his car. Aaron was left to stand in the dust on the side of the road as Robert sped off.

Aaron’s lips were still warm from kissing him.


	7. It's Just a One Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut, as promised!
> 
> I like to give fair warning when I include sexy times that are non-Robron. It's short, and not too detailed. All the detail was saved for the smut scene between Aaron and Robert. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> I've got Monday off from work this upcoming week, so I will use my time wisely and try to post another chapter then.

4 December 2014

He was half sick with conflicting emotions by the time he reached Home Farm. Robert felt absolutely wretched. He feared he had just jeopardized his future with his fiancee. He was worried Aaron had already called ahead to tell Chrissie everything… He was unbelievably frustrated and turned on. It was just a bit of kissing, but he’d had a raging hard on for most of the drive back to Home Farm.

How could he have been so stupid? There were so many levels to his stupidity, he couldn’t even tell what was bothering him most right now. He’d kissed Aaron. Aaron. A bloody Dingle, and everyone in the village knew how unpredictable that lot was. Yet Aaron seemed so honest. Even when he was in an ugly black mask on a mission to rob Home Farm blind, he seemed trustworthy. Like he had no interest in earning a bit of extra cash, and he’d much rather be sitting at the pub drinking a pint or something. He certainly didn’t seem like the type to want to involve himself in some kind of scandal, and there would be no way for Aaron to avoid the fallout if he were to go blabbing to Chrissie about the kiss.

This should never have happened. Robert had just been so angry with Chrissie after his confrontation with her earlier that day. She seriously thought he’d cheat on her with Leyla? There was absolutely nothing going on except for a proper clothes fitting for the wedding, and Chrissie had been there for every second of it. She had seen that nothing had happened, but she still got upset over it. She doubted him, after everything he had to put up with in order to be with her. There was Lawrence faking heart attacks left and right, there was her son perving on young girls in the village, there was Chrissie deciding to move to Emmerdale without a care for what it did to him to come back here. Robert had left for a good reason, and he had become so much more since being away from here. He’d gotten his life together, worked his way up within Lawrence’s company, and snagged a beautiful, smart, wealthy woman as his fiancee. But this place and these people just brought out the worst in him.

“Fuck!” Robert snarled under his breath as he put his car in park on the driveway. He raised his hands to his face and pressed his palms against his eyes, rubbing at them. What was he doing? He’d thought this time, with Chrissie, it would be different. He would be different. Robert’s history was littered with women he’d cheated on. It had caused problems in the past, but he had never felt any desire to remain faithful until he met Chrissie. She was everything he could ever imagine wanting. He wouldn’t have settled for less.

Then there was Aaron. Robert was under no illusions as to his motivations where the mechanic was concerned. He was a challenge. He was interesting. Aaron never reacted how Robert expected him to. It was Robert’s job to read people; he had to figure them out quickly so he could use their weaknesses to his advantage when making deals. And he had to be charismatic, so they wanted to return and do business with him again, even though he was making a profit off of them. Yet whatever charm Robert had, it never seemed to work on Aaron. The younger man had a way of cutting through Robert’s bullshit and getting straight to the heart of the matter. He was intriguing, and Robert wasn’t used to telling himself no when he saw something he wanted.

But he would have done, had Chrissie not turned on him. He had devoted himself to her. He jumped through hoops to win her father over, and put in an effort with her son, even though the boy was more than a bit spoiled and strange. His efforts to carve out a place for himself in her life had lead him to do things he wasn’t proud of, like outing Lawrence in front of drunk gossips, and organizing a robbery so he could sweep in like a hero to save the day. Yet she still found room to doubt him, when he had never even looked at another woman while he was with her.

In the same way an abysmal day at the office warranted a stiff drink, when Robert had left the house after arguing with Chrissie, he felt like he deserved to indulge himself. And like he’d told Chrissie during their fight, when you keep expecting the worst from someone, then that’s exactly what you’re going to get. She had pushed him to this. When he’d walked away from her earlier, he’d made up his mind to go into Leeds and have a one off with whoever caught his fancy. But he was a man who knew what he wanted, and Aaron had been haunting him for the past week, at least. Why settle for second best, when the one he wanted was probably just waking up after a night in town? Robert had seen Aaron arrive at the Woolie this morning, looking pale and hungover as he exited the taxi. Robert knew exactly what the younger man had gotten up to last night. If Aaron was interested in a one off with a stranger, then it meant he couldn’t be the type to get clingy and weird.

When Robert had changed his mind about going to a bar in Leeds and had found a quiet lay-by, he’d felt like he was safe in texting Aaron. He’d convinced himself that the younger man would be happy to pull another bloke so soon, and not give any thought to Chrissie. As he’d sat in his car waiting for Aaron to show, Robert had been much more concerned about whether the younger man would respond to him than whether he could keep a secret. Aaron had only ever looked at Robert with disdain. The longer he’d sat there, the more convinced he’d become that Aaron would turn him down. Robert had been nervous when the young mechanic had finally made an appearance. He’d nearly lost his nerve altogether.

Robert could only wish that he hadn’t worked up the courage to kiss Aaron when the younger man started to walk away from him. Unfortunately, Robert had come to his senses only after the damage was done. He’d kissed Aaron, who now had ammunition to use against Robert if he wanted to.

Taking a deep breath and finally lowering his hands from his eyes, Robert turned the car off and got out. The last thing he wanted to do was face Chrissie, but he had no choice.

She was lying in wait for him. The door had only just slammed behind him when she called out. For a sinking, horrible moment, Robert was sure that Aaron had called ahead and told her what had happened between them. This was it. This was the confrontation, the spitting fight before she dumped him.

“How was your meeting?” she asked. It was such an ordinary, meaningless question. It blindsided him in its unexpectedness.

“Okay,” Robert finally said. His tension started to ease. She didn’t know. He stared at his fiancee, and suddenly he could feel the rasp of Aaron’s beard against his face, the press of hot lips on his, the bruising strength of strong hands gripping him tight.

“Look, you have every right to be mad at me,” Chrissie said, standing up from the sofa and approaching him. Her face was earnest and apologetic as she faced him. “I’m mad at myself!” she continued. “I- I was jealous, and weird, and I hate being like that. I’m sorry.”

“You’ve got to start trusting me,” Robert said, frustrated. He’d only met Aaron today because Chrissie had started accusing him- and after he’d made the choice to be completely faithful to her! She had rewarded his loyalty with blatant distrust. He hadn’t deserved that. Meeting with Aaron had been a mistake, but it was a mistake she had pushed him to making.

“Yeah, I know,” she said, and it was like she understood that she had been in the wrong here.

“I don’t want to keep doing this.”

“No, you won’t,” she said, pressing close to him. Gently, lovingly, Chrissie raised her hands to Robert’s face, her palms against his cheeks. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. She was all soft curves against him, and his hard body was already frustrated from his kiss with Aaron earlier. He felt his stomach tighten as his blood flow shifted southward. Chrissie’s hands lowered, petting the front of his jacket. The same jacket Aaron had roughly tugged off of Robert’s shoulders.

Chrissie was starting to walk past him, as if content with just one kiss. Robert’s body was on fire. She was his outlet- there could be no other. He grabbed her by the elbow before she could pass him by and pulled her close. “Not so fast!”

“What are you doing?” she laughed. Robert silenced her with a hard kiss. She was silk in his arms, from her long hair to her soft skin. This was what he wanted. He walked Chrissie back and gave a light push to get her down onto the sofa. He couldn’t help but contrast this moment with how Aaron had walked him backwards and roughly shoved him up against the truck. Robert poured all of his energy into his lovemaking with Chrissie, but he was gentle, so gentle with her. He had her crying out for him, all sweat streaked and out of breath.

It wasn’t enough.

Not with this afternoon so fresh in his memory. This moment with Chrissie was… soft. Loving. Those were good things, and Robert had enjoyed it immensely. But there was none of the adrenaline, the heat, the urgency - the passion - that had marked his kiss with Aaron earlier.

“Nobody else knows you like I do,” Chrissie murmured once they were done. She cuddled against Robert’s bare chest. Her fingertips played against his smooth skin. “But then, that’s how it should be when you’re spending the rest of your life with someone, isn’t it.”

His thoughts from when he was idling in front the the garage a few days ago came back to him then. He wasn’t a married man yet, and if there was a time to have needs met, it was now or never. Before, he’d felt like it was too risky, but the damage had been done with Aaron already. Why not scratch the itch? It wasn’t like Aaron would turn him down, not with the way he’d responded to Robert’s kiss earlier.

Abruptly, he got up from the sofa and got dressed, giving Chrissie a lame excuse about meeting Vic. He trusted that the guilt she felt for having doubted him would be enough to quell any misgivings she had about his sudden departure. Robert would go, get the dirty little grease monkey off his back, and then come back to Chrissie without any regrets over missed opportunities.

*****

On his way to the Woolpack, Robert caught sight of Aaron walking to the garage. He followed. The sun had set, and it was easy to stand and wait in the shadows while the younger man dealt with a customer. It took forever. Robert had almost decided to give up when the customer finally drove off. He wasted no time coming up behind the mechanic as he locked up the garage door.

“I thought he’d never leave.”

Aaron turned away from the padlock he was working on, glancing at Robert over his shoulder. It was as if that afternoon had never happened. The younger man hardly paid him any attention as he turned back to the lock and said, “What do you want?”

“I came to say sorry. I shouldn’t have backed off.” Robert had apologized to Aaron twice in one day. It had to be a record for him.

“Just go home,” Aaron told him, shaking his head as he looked at Robert. There was the disdain again. He watched the younger man walk into the darkened inside of the garage through a small service door. He followed on his heels, heart quickening as he gave chase. Here was the challenge he’d been missing with Chrissie. Robert watched as Aaron entered Debbie’s office and tossed the garage keys onto her desk. As he turned to face Robert again, his body was tense and his face irritated. Robert was standing in front of the door to the small office, and Aaron had to approach him if he wanted out.

“You’re really starting to annoy me now,” he said in his rough voice. He came closer, squaring off with Robert.

“Yeah, likewise,” Robert said. They both knew what was about to happen between them. Playing hard to get was interesting, but right now he just wanted to scratch that itch. He wanted to grab Aaron and tear his clothes off.

“Get out,” he ordered, nodding his head back toward the service door.

“Okay,” Robert agreed. “But first I want to know one thing.” He stepped closer, not backing down as his breath came faster and his blood pounded through his veins. Their mouths were tantalizingly close.

Aaron jerked his face to the side, blocking any attempt at a kiss. Their shoulders collided as Aaron pushed past him. Robert let the shove turn him as Aaron tried to walk past him, and he grabbed the younger man’s arm. It was firm and strong beneath his palm, and he found himself digging his fingers into hard muscle and wrenching the other man around to face him.

It was almost deja vu. Only an hour earlier, he’d wrapped his hand around Chrissie’s slender arm to tug her close. It had been a black silk blouse against his hand then. This time it was the black cotton of one of Aaron’s hoodies, and this time Robert wasn’t gentle. He jerked the other man close, and he saw the moment Aaron’s face lost all traces of irritation. The shorter man looked up at him, blue eyes going from Robert’s eyes to his lips and back. Both men were already breathing hard, looking at each other. Aaron’s lips were parted. Robert's fingers dug in tighter on his arms, holding him in place.

Aaron didn’t move away this time, and Robert fell into him. His hands moved up to glide against the warm skin of Aaron’s neck as he kissed him, his thumbs brushing against Aaron’s beard briefly before his arms were forced down by the leather jacket finally being dragged off of him. His blue shirt quickly followed, forcing them to break the kiss, and suddenly he was bare-chested in front of the shorter man. Aaron shoved him against a nearby car, and he gasped as his back pressed against the cold, smooth surface. The entire garage was cold, but he didn’t care about that as Aaron lowered his dark head to bite at one of his nipples.

Robert bit back a moan as he felt teeth tug at the small, hardened tip, and then Aaron was sucking it into his hot mouth. He gasped as a slick tongue teased at it. He wanted to wrap himself around Aaron, but the smaller man was surprisingly strong as he held Robert back against the car. He could have fought the hold, but he was enjoying it too much to bother. Robert had to bite his lips to keep quiet as the other man moved on to his other nipple.

Aaron rose up and brought his face close. Robert leaned forward to try and capture his lips again, but Aaron drew back teasingly. He brought his hips in against Robert’s and rubbed against him. “Aaron!” he gasped. His cock was pressed hard against the confining fabric of his black jeans, and feeling Aaron brushing against him was torture. Again he tried to kiss the other man, but Aaron stayed just out of reach. He barely held back a sound of frustration.

“Go on,” Aaron murmured, his voice raspier than ever. Robert felt his cock twitch at the sound. “Make all the noise you want. No one’s going to hear ya.” He finally leaned forward and took Robert’s lips with his. This time, Robert didn’t worry about being quiet. Aaron was kissing him, pressing his body tightly against the taller man’s and rubbing against him. Robert softly bit the other man’s lower lip, flashing back to yesterday when he’d turned down Aaron’s offer to go into town. Aaron had bitten his lower lip then, making Robert instantly regret saying no. Now Robert sucked on that lip, relishing in the taste of the other man’s mouth and the tickling sensation of his scruff against Robert’s bare chin.

He couldn’t wait anymore. At some point Aaron had let go of Robert’s arms. He took his chance to start working on Aaron’s belt. He unzipped Aaron's fly as the younger man reached over to open the back door of the car they were leaning against. He let Robert push him in, so that he was lying flat on the back seat. Except for his pants being undone, Aaron was still completely clothed as he laid there. Robert didn’t have the patience to do anything about that. Instead, he unbuckled his own belt and tugged down his jeans and briefs as he watched Aaron shimmy his own pants down his hips.

“Fuck yes,” Robert whispered as the other man lowered his briefs down his thighs and his cock sprung free. It was flushed a rosy pink as it rose up proudly from a tamed nest of dark curls. Robert’s eyes never left it as he kicked off his shoes, stepped out of his pants, and got into the car. He crawled on top of him, laying his weight on Aaron’s legs so he could bring his face down to his crotch. Robert hadn’t had much experience with other men, having always preferred women, and he’d never wanted to give another bloke a blowjob before now. But then, he’d never seen another dick this perfect. Except his own, of course.

Robert would have liked to take his time, maybe trail kisses down Aaron’s bare chest and stomach before taking him in his mouth. But they were in the back of a car with very little space to move around, and Aaron’s top half was still fully clothed anyway. So Robert prepared Aaron with a few strokes of his hand first, before holding his cock still and licking along the underside. He felt Aaron jerk beneath him, and Robert moaned against his cock as the other man buried one hand in Robert’s hair. He licked along Aaron’s length and cradled his balls with one hand before he dared to take the head into his mouth.

The other man’s salty taste exploded onto Robert’s tongue. He sucked at Aaron, trying to swallow him down. Going down on him was better than Robert had expected. “Bloody hell!” he heard Aaron moan. The younger man must have been as ready as Robert because he tangled his fingers into Robert's blond hair and pulled him up until he was straddling Aaron's thighs. Robert’s cock was dribbling precum, and when Aaron’s hand wrapped around him, he knew he wasn’t going to last long. There had been too much build up to this moment. He leaned over the shorter man and kissed him frantically as Aaron gathered them both into his hand and expertly started to rub them together. Robert thrust into that firm stroke, barely aware that they’d stopped kissing and were now just pressing their foreheads together, gasping into each others faces.

When he came, Robert felt like he was emptying load after load across Aaron’s shirt. He held still over the other man as Aaron jerked him dry. When he finally let go of Robert, the older man came to his senses enough to crawl back down Aaron’s body and take over, rubbing the younger man’s perfect penis until ropes of cum were shooting out from the slit to join the mess Robert had already made on his black shirt.

They laid there for maybe a minute, Robert sprawled across Aaron’s legs as he caught his breath. When he did recover, regret began to set in.

Robert got out of the car and started getting dressed. He felt almost angry as he pulled on his pants and stuffed his feet into his shoes. He didn’t look up as Aaron got out of the car and slammed the door shut. “You alright?” the younger man asked as he leaned back casually against the car. Robert spared him a look before looking back down at the shirt he was straightening out.

“Yeah. Yeah.” He knew he didn’t sound convincing as he tugged his shirt over his head.

Robert shoved his arms into the sleeves as Aaron zippered his hoodie over his messy shirt. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to stick around and buy me a beer or any of that. I know you’re getting married. I don’t want to wreck it.”

“Good,” he said as he grabbed up his leather jacket and started to put it on.

“It’s a one off.”

“Yeah,” he answered quietly, finally looking at Aaron as he continued to straighten up. Aaron was watching him cautiously.

“That is what you wanted, isn’t it?” he asked. Of course it was. Wasn't it? Robert would never admit it out loud, but his feelings of regret had as much to do with how quickly it had ended as it did with cheating on Chrissie. He’d made love to his fiancee an hour before coming here, but he still hadn’t been able to last. The sex had been amazing, hands down one of the best experiences in his life. It had been quick, but passionate. Definitely his best experience with another man- no contest. But it was over now. He hadn’t even managed to get Aaron undressed, and if the rest of him matched that cock, then Robert was definitely missing out.

“Yeah,” Robert answered after just a split second’s pause.

“Does she know about this?” Aaron wondered.

“No.”

“I don’t mean me, I mean you…. Saying you’re bisexual, or whatever you are.”

“I’m straight,” Robert said slowly, and with emphasis. “And she doesn’t need to know everything about me.”

Aaron smirked, but it was a more relaxed version of his usual scoffing manner. “Like she doesn’t need to know who’s really to blame for her house being burgled.”

“Why? Are you going to tell her that?” Robert demanded. This is why sleeping with Aaron instead of a stranger was such a bad idea.

“No,” Aaron said with a shake of his head.

“Then why are we talking about it?” Robert asked, not sure he believed the younger man. Aaron just shook his head, so Robert left the garage. He had to put in an appearance at the Woolpack and chat with Vic in case Chrissie decided to check up on him.

The situation at the pub was less than ideal. When he walked in, he found Chrissie had beat him there by seconds, and was talking to Vic. He managed to interrupt before it could turn into a disaster. The only thing he could think of to explain his tardiness was his car breaking down. He didn’t count on Vic overhearing him. “What, again?” she asked. To make matters worse, Aaron entered the pub at that moment, and Victoria called out to him. “Weren’t you supposed to fix it?”

Aaron clearly had no idea what Vic was talking about, so Robert was quick to interject before the other man could ask Vic what she was on about. “Well, he didn’t do a very good job. I had to call him back out!” Aaron looked unimpressed as he ordered a pint. Robert was sweating, and he tried to focus on Chrissie while she assured him that she hadn’t followed him to the pub out of distrust. It was difficult to focus on anything while Chrissie and Aaron were occupying the same room. Robert was kicking himself for being a fool, but he hid his confusion and nerves as best he could. He placed his hands on Chrissie’s waist and, in desperation, finally asked, “Why don’t you say we skip the drink and go home?” She leaned in and happily kissed him. Robert stiffened, wondering if she’d be able to taste Aaron on his lips.

But no, the kiss was short and chaste, and Chrissie was still happy as she ended it and headed out. Robert couldn’t help tossing Aaron worried looks as he left the pub. Would Aaron keep his secret, or would he decide to blackmail Robert? The thought haunted him as he followed Chrissie home.

 

5 December 2014

Morning found Robert exhausted. He had rested only fitfully, and had spent much of the night pondering the issue of what to do about Aaron. He was no closer to deciding how he wanted to handle all this when Chrissie called his attention back to the task at hand. They were sitting in the home office, trying to plan their wedding, but Robert couldn’t find the energy within himself to care which songs went on the avoid-at-all-cost list for the wedding reception.

“Oh, come on!” she protested when his attention wandered again. “You’re not exactly getting into the spirit of things, are you? I’ll start! Er… Gold Digger?” she laughed, clearly in a good mood.

“Suspicious Minds?” he offered. Her phone rang, preventing her from responding to that, so Robert got up and began to pace the room.

“Hello? Hi! Yeah, hang on a sec.” Chrissie swiveled her chair to face Robert. “It’s Aaron! Well, off you go,” she teased, waving him away as if he was supposed to just leave her there to have a private conversation with the man he’d had sex with the other day.

“Why?” Robert asked, coming closer. His palms started to sweat.

“Well, maybe he wants to speak to me privately,” she answered. That was the last thing Robert wanted to hear.

“He what? No!” he protested.

“No?” Chrissie repeated. She still sounded too cheerful. She directed her next words to Aaron. “Did you hear that? He said no. Yeah, well, he’s not very good with surprises. I think I should just tell him.” For an insane moment, Robert was suddenly sure that Chrissie and Aaron had been carrying on behind his back. But wait, no, that made no sense. Aaron had said he was gay, not bisexual.

“Hang on a sec,” Chrissie told the man on the phone. She covered her cell phone with her hand to muffle the sound, and leaned back in her chair with a satisfied look at Robert. “You know that Austin-Healey you’ve been going on about?” Robert tried to cover up the sudden relief that washed through him. He had completely forgotten Aaron telling him that Chrissie was going to buy him a gift. The constricted feeling around his chest loosened a bit. “Well,” she said, “Aaron’s helped me find one. An early wedding present from your loving future wife! You’re welcome,” she mouthed as she uncovered her phone and brought it back to her ear.

Robert’s relief was so great, he actually started to laugh. “I don’t know what to say!” he exclaimed, running a hand through his hair.

“You have no idea how grateful we are,” Chrissie told Aaron with a smile on her face. Robert listened as she ended the call, clearly making arrangements to go see the car. That overwhelming feeling of relief was now being tempered by the recollection that he wasn’t out of danger yet. This could be Aaron’s way of luring them over so that he could reveal everything in person. It was with trepidation that Robert followed Chrissie out of the house and sat quietly in her car as she drove them to the garage. He felt like he was on his way to his execution.

*****

“Well it’s the right one, isn’t it?” Chrissie asked as Robert walked around the front of the steel blue Austin-Healey, running his hand along the bonnet. “How did you find it so quickly?”

Aaron was sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, with the door open. It felt strange to watch the two speak to each other. Aaron looked over at Chrissie as she approached the open car door, and said, “The owner brings it here for his service.”

“But it is for sale?” she asked.

“Yep,” Aaron said, getting up and brushing past Chrissie to give her and Robert some room to take a proper look at the car.

“Well, what do you think?” Chrissie asked eagerly. Robert realized that he’d been quiet since they got to the garage. He managed to stutter out a few words, which was enough to have her excitedly pushing him toward the driver’s seat so he could take it for a test drive. “Come on!” she urged as she shut the door for him. Robert couldn’t help but glance at Aaron’s face then. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. His face lacked the normal impatience and disdain that marked his expressions when dealing with Robert, or the more recent intensity Robert had had a chance to glimpse when they’d been intimate. Aaron wasn’t awkward with the situation or angry. He was just blank, and Robert didn’t know what to do with that.

Chrissie had Robert test drive the car straight to Home Farm so they could complete the sale. It was completely surreal, driving the Austin-Healey with his fiancee beside him and the man he'd cheated on her with sat in the back seat. This day would just not end. Robert was exhausted, and he was tired of wondering when the other shoe would drop. But he had to remain cheerful for his fiancee as she led him and Aaron into the house, saying, “Am I not the best fiancee ever?”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’re happy with it!” Her face was glowing as she turned toward him. Robert couldn’t help but remember that moment at the garage, when Aaron had told him he didn’t deserve her.

“Well, I’m thrilled!” he told her, smiling back. “But are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Now, why don’t you make yourself scarce while myself and Aaron have a little chat? Coffee?” she offered the other man.

“Yeah,” he said, as if this was just an ordinary meeting. It drove Robert mad, how cool and collected the younger man seemed. It was almost as if he’d done this before. Had he? Robert wasn’t sure he liked the thought.

He stopped Aaron with a hand on his elbow before he could follow Chrissie into the next room. He kept his hand on the other man, grip loose. Robert knew he should let go, but it felt better like this, as if he could stop Aaron from doing something stupid. “What are you doing?”

“Selling you a Precio,” Aaron answered, his dark brows furrowed as he looked at Robert. The look alone was like he was asking, “Are you daft?”

Robert wasn’t buying the innocent act. “How much do you want?” he demanded. If Aaron was going to blackmail him, he’d rather pay up before the mechanic had a chance to make any comments in front of Chrissie.

“That’s between me and your missus, isn’t it?” He made a move as if to follow Chrissie, and Robert tightened his grip on Aaron’s arm to stop him. The tension ratcheted up between them.

“I’m not messing about,” Robert told him.

“Listen,” Aaron said, turning to face Robert squarely. He was suddenly looking at him straight in the face. The last time they had been this close, they had ended up kissing and having sex in the back of a car. That made it a little difficult for Robert to stand his ground now. “If you’re saying what I think you’re saying, you got me wrong, mate,” Aaron said, voice low and intense. “All wrong.”

Aaron turned and finally went after Chrissie. Robert just stood there, wondering at the younger man’s words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of us have our own take on Robert's sexuality, I'm sure. For my part, I know he identifies as straight, but given his overwhelming interest in Aaron, I find it likely that he's bisexual. I tried to convey real emotion between him and Chrissie. I hope that came across, even though I opted for brevity in my retelling of their sofa-sex scene. It's my opinion that Robert actually felt like they were evenly matched, and he thought he loved her until Aaron came and shook up his world.


	8. Upstairs. Now.

Chapter 8

 

8 December 2014

“Listen, do you fancy going for a drink later?”

It had been an impulse to ask, and Aaron regretted it immediately. It was plain to see on Finn’s face that he was taking the question more seriously than Aaron had intended it. He had never gotten on with Finn, on account of the boy being too soft around the edges for his taste. For a moment though, with Finn teasing him about trying moussaka in France, it had been friendly-like between them. Since Adam had been locked up, Aaron hadn’t spent much time socializing with anyone outside of work or home, and it was nice to just talk to a bloke near to his own age who he wasn’t trying to impress. Maybe a small part of Aaron even liked the normalcy of it; like the comfortable small talk he used to share with Jackson or Ed. If anything, that was an afterthought. Mostly, he hadn’t thought about the implications of inviting the only other gay lad in the village for a drink.

“Er… yeah,” Finn answered. They turned away from one another, and Aaron bit his lip as he left the Barton house. He wondered if he should go back inside and cancel, or tell Finn it was just a drink and nothing more. But hadn’t he made his feelings clear months ago, after he’d been released from custody, and had slept with Finn after getting drunk at the pub? Aaron had made it plain that Finn wasn’t his type. If the lad had gotten any ideas in his head, he’d surely put it together himself before they met up later.

Aaron didn’t give it another thought until he walked into the pub and saw Finn dressed in a truly horrible patterned shirt that was thankfully mostly covered by a dark blazer. He definitely thought it was a date. The awkwardness of the situation was compounded by Robert sitting at the bar. Aaron hadn’t seen him since the stupid prat had tried to buy his silence. He was, of course, watching as Aaron sat down at a table with Finn. The blond man smiled and shook his head.

What did he mean by it?

Aaron tuned out Finn as he talked about what he’d seen on the telly the other day, choosing instead to watch Robert talk to Diane and Vic. He’d looked pretty on edge when Aaron had spoken to him at Home Farm, but now he looked at ease as he and Diane poked fun at Victoria. Aaron eyed the fitted leather jacket that stretched across Robert’s broad shoulders. He couldn’t help but think back to their one off at the garage, when he’d finally gotten Robert out of his clothes. The naked man had crawled up Aaron’s body, light blue eyes never traveling higher than Aaron’s cock.

“We can sit with them, if you like?” Finn’s voice finally caught his attention, and Aaron realized the other man had been quiet for some time now.

“Why would I want to do that?” Aaron asked. Never mind that he’d just been caught staring at Robert. He took another sip from his pint, bored.

“Er, I don’t know,” Finn said. “You live here? Diane’s a laugh? Or maybe you just don’t want to be here with me.”

“Try saying something worth listening to, and I’m all yours.” There was no doubt Robert was the biggest arse Aaron had ever met, but at least the man was interesting.

“How can I make sparkly conversation? I know nothing about cars…”

“Oh what, you’re saying I’m thick?” Aaron asked. As if cars were the only things he was capable of talking about! Still, his comment lacked any real heat. He’d welcome some banter at this point. Anything was better than hearing about Finn’s favorite shows.

Unfortunately, the other man took it to heart, his eyebrows lowering as he shook his head. “Where’s all this coming from? I was obviously joking!”

“Well, a joke’s supposed to be funny,” Aaron told him.

Finn gave an incredulous laugh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Alright, two lads walk into a bar. One seemed to be making a mug of the other. That sort of thing make you laugh, does it?” he asked angrily. The legs of his chair scraped back against the floor as Finn stood and stomped off toward the toilets. Aaron rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. This was why he never hung out with the lad. He had thin skin and a flair for the dramatic. Aaron was aware of quite a few eyes on him as he got up and followed, including Robert’s. The blond man was shaking his head again, laughing.

Aaron caught up to Finn in the toilets. “What are you stomping about the place like that for?”

“Aaron, why did you ask me out?” Finn asked, still facing away from him.

“I asked you if you fancied a drink!”

“Yeah, but why?” Finn demanded, walking further into the room and further away from Aaron.

He sighed as he followed. When Finn turned to face him, he said, “Look, you’re happy to talk about last night’s telly-”

“Yeah, well, what’s wrong with that?”

“Well, nothing, but I’m just… I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

Finn gave an unhappy laugh and looked away. Robert walked in just as Finn said, “You arrogant tool! You’re not that special, you know?” With that, he stormed out of the room, brushing past Robert to get out.

It was terrible timing, and Aaron turned away feeling a mixture of embarrassment and anger. He knew Robert was not an innocent bystander. The older man had purposely followed them so he could listen in. He’d seen Finn throwing a fit, and he wanted to witness Aaron’s embarrassment for himself. “It’s brilliant. Like being back in school,” he said with an irritating grin. Then he raised his eyebrows in the most frustrating manner, and as he walked toward the toilets he added, “Awkward doesn’t begin to cover it!”

It was probably best that Robert’s back was to him at that moment. Aaron couldn’t hide his fury, and if he had to look at that smug face one second longer, he’d end up smashing it in with his fist. That arrogant bastard knew exactly how to get under Aaron’s skin. Robert thought he could do and say anything he pleased, and all he had to do to get away with it was throw his money at people. Really he was just a gold digger hiding in the closet, marrying some stupid cow who, for some reason, thought he was the best thing to walk into her life on two legs. Aaron may have slept with the man, but he certainly didn’t like Robert. He stormed out without saying a word.

Anger was one of those things that always got the best of him. So when he walked outside to get some fresh air, and he saw the white Audi proudly parked in the pub’s loading zone looking as flashy and smug as its owner… Well, anyone who knew Aaron would agree that he could have done worse than march over and start kicking the car. He kicked the wing mirrors right off. Time was, he would have taken a bat to the Audi and wrecked it, so really Robert could count himself lucky that the only damage was the wing mirrors and some dents. Aaron was filled with a keen sense of satisfaction as he picked up the wing mirrors and chucked them over a nearby wall. He still felt pleased with himself as he pulled a piece of gum out of his pocket, chewing happily as he went for a short stroll to work off the last of his steam.

Robert was still sitting at the bar when Aaron went back inside. His back was to the door, and it was with pleasure that Aaron came up from behind and leaned his elbows on the bar, invading Robert’s space. He leaned his face closer and watched as Robert shivered, clearly affected by his nearness. “I chased them up the street, but, well…”

“Chased who?” Robert asked with confusion.

“The lads who just gave your car a hell of a battering,” Aaron told him.

“You’re joking,” Robert said flatly.

“Yeah, I am,” Aaron agreed, chewing his gum as he nodded. “It was me. I know a good garage if you need one, though.” He could have laughed at the disbelief on Robert’s face. Instead, Aaron gave his arm a friendly clap and walked away, his mood high. He walked around the bar, and when he looked behind him before he went through to the back, Robert was gone.

Aaron would have killed to see his face when he saw his car.

He went through the parlor and met Diane on her way down from the upstairs. Aaron drew back to give her some room to pass him. “Are you and Finn…?” She trailed off, raising her eyebrows hopefully at him.

“God no!” Aaron said. “We just had a drink after work.”

“Right,” she said, then pointed toward the parlor. “You’ve got half an hour, then I want to be in there watching telly for the night.”

“Yeah, well, that’s me out then,” he told her.

“Great, I’ve got the room to myself!” She walked down the last few stairs and disappeared through the doorway. Aaron was halfway to the second floor when he heard a knock from the entry at the base of the stairs. Sighing, he went back down and opened the door, poking his head around to find a thunderous looking Robert standing there. He pushed the door open, sweeping past Aaron as he looked around to make sure they were alone.

“What are you playing at?” he demanded. Aaron couldn’t help the thrill that went through him as Robert faced him, furious. This was the edge that a bloke like Finn just didn’t have. Aaron didn’t have to worry about hurt feelings with Robert, so he met the other man’s anger with rage of his own and vented everything that had been bothering him.

“If you’re looking for your wing mirrors, I chucked them over a wall,” Aaron told him as Robert moved in threateningly close. “Your money means nothing to me, mate. You can’t buy me!”

“I wasn’t trying to buy you!” Robert protested.

“You tried to pay me off the other day!”

“Because I thought you were trying to blackmail me!” Aaron was on him before Robert could blink, slamming the taller man into the wall.

He fisted his hands on the lapels of Robert’s jacket, forcing him to hold still while he got in his face. Robert was breathing hard as he stared at Aaron. “You want to do a one night stand, you do it away from home next time, alright.”

“So what was that about with Finn?” Robert demanded, completely out of the blue. “Trying to rub my nose in it, were you?”

Suddenly, Robert following him and Finn to the toilets took on a new light. Maybe he hadn’t done it just to listen in and laugh at Aaron’s embarrassment. Robert didn’t even look that angry anymore, like the answer to his question was important. It also occurred to him that the taller man had yet to make even the smallest attempt to fight Aaron off. In fact, his hands were lightly resting on Aaron’s waist for balance. It was like a light bulb went off in his head. Aaron felt the scowl leave his face, and he smirked as he said, “Why? Jealous were ya?”

The anger flooded back into Robert’s face, and he brought his hands up and shoved Aaron in the chest, backing him up until he smacked painfully into the opposite wall. “Touch my car again…” Robert warned. But his eyes were scanning Aaron’s face, and he had half a second to glance at Robert’s lips as the blond man breathed hard, and then Robert was on him.

The kiss was harsh at first, but it softened as Aaron relaxed into it. Robert finally pulled away, but he stayed pressed close against Aaron, fingers bunched in the cloth against his chest. The anger had drained away from Robert’s face, and he looked almost vulnerable as he swallowed hard and lowered his eyes for a moment before glancing back into Aaron’s face. “Right. Upstairs. Now.”

Aaron wiped his mouth as Robert went up the stairs, his heart racing as he took just a moment to really think about what he was doing. It was understandable sleeping with Robert once. The older man might be a gold digger, and he might be willing to do illegal things to manipulate those closest to him, but he was also incredibly good looking. Aaron could hardly be blamed for going along with it when Robert came to him the first time. But doing it a second time was dumb. The man was going to get married! He was clearly struggling with his sexuality, whatever he said to the contrary. Aaron couldn’t help but sympathize. Cheating on a fiancee was nothing in comparison to what Aaron had done when confronted with his homosexuality. He’d beaten Paddy - who was a father to him - to a pulp. Then he’d beaten Jackson up after he had kissed him.

Aaron followed Robert up the stairs. Maybe this would help Robert come to terms with himself? Regardless, he was a grown man. If he wanted to cheat on his fiancee, that was on him.

“This way,” Aaron said quietly as they reached the top of the stairs. He lead Robert to his unlit bedroom, then turned around and locked the door. Aaron felt Robert come up behind him, and then the taller man was pressing him up against the door. Resting his forehead against the cool wood surface, Aaron gasped as Robert rubbed against his arse and leaned down to kiss along his neck. Hands smoothed down his sides, settled on his hips and pulled him in tight. Aaron started to turn, but Robert pushed him tighter to the door.

“Stay,” Robert said. Like he was a bloody dog. Aaron was about to protest, but one of Robert’s hands left his hips to circle around to the front. It trailed up Aaron’s abdomen to grab the clasp of his hoodie. The zipper was loud in the quiet darkness of the bedroom. Aaron shuddered as Robert pulled the hoodie down off his arms and let it fall to the floor, cool air making the hairs on his body rise. Robert’s hands were on his waist again, following the line of his jeans forward until they met at the front. He unbuckled Aaron’s belt, and pulled it free of the belt loops with one hand while the other started on the button of his fly. Aaron let Robert nuzzle against his neck and work on the zipper while he toed off his boots so he could step out of his jeans when they fell down around his ankles. He was left in just his shirt and boxer briefs.

“Come here,” Robert demanded, fingers digging painfully into Aaron’s arms as the older man seemed to abruptly lose patience, tugging him around to face him. Robert’s lips descended onto his, and he licked along Aaron’s lips until they parted. The kiss was deep, their tongues tangling together. He heard Robert moan, and it sent another wave of arousal coursing through him. He guided the taller man further into the room, never breaking the kiss as he pushed him toward the bed. The blond’s legs connected with the mattress, and Aaron pulled back, raised his hands to those broad shoulders, and pushed down until Robert sat on the bed.

He tugged the ever-present leather jacket off of him. It looked good on him, but Aaron was starting to get tired of having to strip it off of Robert, so he tossed it aside without a care to where it landed. He pulled Robert’s shirt off of him and threw it away. The room was dark, but the curtains were open, letting in enough light that he could see just enough. Aaron stroked his hands over Robert’s bare chest, gently pinching his nipples. The gasp it brought made him groan. He’d noticed that at the garage as well- Robert’s nipples seemed to be particularly sensitive.

Robert’s hands had traveled back to squeeze Aaron’s cheeks, and now one hand had traveled beneath the band of his boxer briefs, fingers tracing along the crack. “Yes,” Aaron whispered as he bent forward to bring their mouths together again for a brief, sloppy kiss before he pushed Robert onto his back and started working to get his pants off. It had been some time since he bottomed, but he figured Robert’s experience with men had to be limited if he was still in the closet; he didn’t seem like the sort to unbend enough to put himself in such a vulnerable position.

Aaron pulled Robert’s pants down to his ankles, then paused to take his shoes off. Once the pants were off, Robert scooted back until he was laying across the bed. Aaron quickly undressed, making a sound in his throat as he watched Robert raise his hips off the bed and wriggle out of his briefs. They were naked in record time, and Aaron joined him on the bed, relishing the feel of skin sliding on skin.

“Finally!” Robert murmured between kisses. “I’ve been dying to get you out of your pants.”

“Here I am. What do you plan on doing about it?” Robert did not disappoint. He pushed Aaron onto his back and started exploring, mouth wet as he worked his way down Aaron’s body. Robert took his time when he reached his stomach. Feeling the scars, he realized. Aaron was so used to the cut marks by now that he did sometimes manage to forget about them in the heat of the moment. He let Robert lick at them as long fingers traced the numerous cuts. It made him uncomfortable. He allowed it for as long as he could stand before he pushed at Robert’s shoulders, hoping the other man would focus on something lower than his belly button.

“Mmm.” Hearing that from Robert as he finally came to Aaron’s cock was enough to bring him back into the moment. It sounded for all the world like Robert had just come across something delicious that he wanted. Aaron tried to keep quiet as he felt fingers wrap around him, stroking him, getting him ready before Robert took him into his mouth.

It was incredible. Maybe not the most expert blowjob he’d ever had, but Aaron couldn’t remember anyone ever being this keen. Robert’s mouth was all over him, licking, tasting, and sucking him as if he couldn’t get enough. It was the sounds Robert made that really got him- small desperate noises, like every taste just made him thirsty for more. Aaron finally had to pull at Robert’s hair to get him to stop before he came. He flipped them so that the taller man was beneath him. He kissed Robert as his fingers explored the other man’s length and then cradled his balls.

“I won’t last,” Robert gasped, pulling back from the kiss. Aaron gave his cock one last pull before he backed off and reached for the bedside table. The lube and condoms were within easy reach in the top drawer. He passed a condom to Robert, and then laid back, spread his legs, and started to prepare himself with the lube while Robert put it on. “Christ, Aaron,” Robert said, watching him. The blond came near, content to sit on his heels, hand grasping the base of his cock as he watched Aaron finger himself.

“You like that?” Aaron gasped, working a second finger in. Robert made a sound deep in his throat, as if he was incapable of speech, then leaned over Aaron and kissed him hard. Aaron was breathless with it, and then Robert was reaching for the discarded bottle of lube. He squirted a good amount on his fingers and took over. Robert’s fingers were longer than his own, but he started with just one to be cautious. When he found that Aaron had worked himself loose enough, he squeezed in a second. Those long fingers brushed his prostate, and Aaron thrust down onto Robert’s hand, moaning.

He fucked Aaron with his fingers, working in a third before Aaron had enough. “Do it now,” he hissed. Robert immediately positioned himself, settling between Aaron’s thighs and lining up. He tried to bite back a groan as Robert shoved into him, ruthlessly working the head of his cock in before pausing to let him adjust. When he was ready, Aaron reached up to bury his fingers in that blond hair and tug him down for another kiss. Robert filled him up, working for a couple more inches and then easing out.

He started gently, still working for room, but each thrust went deeper until his balls slapped against Aaron’s arse. Robert shuddered over him, and then he was picking up speed. It was good, so good, but Aaron ended up having to adjust beneath Robert, managing to get his hips at the right angle so that each thrust rubbed against that sweet spot. It suddenly went from good to mind-blowing. He got a hand between their bodies and wrapped it around his own cock, jerking off as Robert pounded into him. It didn’t take long before Aaron felt his balls tighten, and then he was cumming, shooting across his own belly.

“Aaron!” Robert shouted, gasping for breath. He was slamming into him now, fucking him mercilessly. Aaron cried out, milking his own cock, knowing he’d be sore tomorrow. But when Robert slammed home one last time, cuming with a shout, Aaron knew it was worth it. The older man gave a guttural groan, pulling out and collapsing onto him without a care for the mess spattered on Aaron’s chest.

They were both breathing wildly, and his heart was thundering inside him. It wasn’t exactly comfortable having Robert sprawled on top of him, but Aaron was riding the high and decided it wasn’t worth the hassle trying to get him to budge. Eventually, Robert rolled off, limbs barely coordinated enough to accomplish the task. He ended up curled around Aaron, and Robert’s body was so warm against him that he felt sleep tugging at him. “Right,” the older man said making Aaron’s eyes wrench open. His voice was thick and so slurred he sounded drunk. “If I don’t get up now, I’ll fall asleep.”

That quickly, reality set in. Aaron suddenly remembered Robert’s fiancee was waiting for him. He searched for something to say. “Bathroom’s across the hall.”

“Right,” Robert said again. For a moment, he didn’t move, and Aaron wondered if he’d decided to just spend the night. Robert finally stirred, movements heavy as he got to his feet. Sighing, Aaron got up too, turning on the lamp that sat on his bedside table as Robert slipped off the condom and tied it. The two men gathered their clothes, neither feeling the need to speak. Aaron’s clothes were at least located in two piles, but Robert’s had been flung haphazardly around the bedroom. It gave Aaron time to watch him now that there was light to see by.

He really was a handsome bastard.

Aaron played lookout for Robert in the hall. It wouldn’t do to get caught at this point. Shared bathing felt too intimate for whatever it was they were doing with each other, so Aaron made do with a dampened washcloth while Robert quickly soaped up. The cleanup was brisk, and they didn’t speak as Aaron sneaked him out the back.

As he watched Robert drive off in the Audi, the missing wing mirrors suddenly struck Aaron as humorous. He couldn’t help but laugh as he went back up to his room.

 

9 December 2014

His arse had seen better days. Everything below the waist was achy, and it took a long soak in a hot bath before Aaron felt up to walking. He’d only just finished eating a sandwich in the parlor when he heard the door open. He glanced back over his shoulder as Robert walked in like he owned the place. “I didn’t hear you knock,” Aaron told him with some irritation before he took a sip of his coffee.

Robert came around to stand in front of him. It was immediately evident by his hostile stance that he was back to blaming Aaron for something. “Have you been hassling Chrissie for payment of the car?” he asked.

Aaron lowered his coffee mug, making a face. Robert was being a prat. Again. “No, course not,” he said, picking at his teeth.

“But you’re the one who charged her mate’s rates. What would’ve happened if she had come here and seen the car all bashed up?”

“I don’t know,” Aaron said, standing up with his coffee and dirty plate. He stepped in close to Robert, making him back off before Aaron walked past him toward the kitchen. He made sure not to walk funny, knowing it’d only provoke tiresome comments from Robert. “I’m sure you’d think of something.”

“Right. Great,” Robert said, following him as Aaron placed his plate in the sink.

“It’s what it was worth,” Aaron explained, turning around. Why did Robert have to turn everything into a big deal? He was clearly panicking again over cheating on Chrissie. “You have to be mates to get mate’s rates, you know?” Aaron pointed out, as if talking to an idiot.

Robert shook his head, licking his lips as he thought. “I can’t have her anywhere near you,” he said.

Aaron raised his face toward the ceiling and gave a brief, humorless laugh. This was ridiculous. “Fine,” he said. Like he wanted to spend all his time with Chrissie anyway.

“I mean it,” Robert told him, as if scared Aaron was going to start following his fiancee around the village. “Okay? No more contact with her. With these sorts of things-”

“These sorts of things!” Aaron scoffed. “Sounds like you’ve done it before.”

“No strings, no risks,” Robert said. Was he seriously laying out rules? At this rate, they weren’t going to need any rules. Aaron was getting fed up with this.

“See, I don’t think you have, otherwise you wouldn’t be this scared,” Aaron continued, as if the other man hadn’t spoken. Instead of responding, Robert reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He held it out to Aaron.

“Take it, then.”

Aaron took a sip of coffee, trying to think past his irritation. Robert was the sort of bloke who always tried to throw money at problems. It seemed like bad precedent to take cash from his hand, so Aaron nodded toward the dining table and said, “Leave it on there, I’ll get it in a bit.”

Robert huffed, but he did as Aaron asked. As the older man left, Aaron wondered if he should have just taken the envelope. Robert’s manner as he tossed the money was far too similar to how Aaron imagined a man might throw cash on a prostitute’s bedside table on his way out. The image was only helped along by the pervasive soreness in his bum that reminded him of what they’d done last night.

 

15 December 2014

A week with seeing naught of Robert Sugden but his banged up car at the garage was just what Aaron needed to recoup. He had to recover physically, of course, but more important was the breathing space it gave him to get his head on straight. By the seventh day though, he was starting to wonder if Robert had decided not to come back for more. Aaron wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed. Obviously Robert was a headcase, but the sex had been extremely good and Aaron could only think that it would be helpful to Robert if he had someone around who’d come out proud. He himself had benefited from Jackson’s experience when he was coming to terms with his own sexuality. He couldn’t imagine how much worse it would have been without Jackson there to help him.

If Robert wanted to stay away, then Aaron would respect that. There were other things he needed to think about, like Adam coming home tomorrow. He was taking his lunch break at the cafe with Dan, having just sent Moira a text so they could make plans to pick up Adam, when the other man said, “Oh yeah, Robert was after you.”

“Alright, when?” he asked, trying to seem only mildly interested.

“Yesterday,” Dan said.

“So why are you only just telling me this now?” Aaron demanded, frustrated.

“Because I’ve only just remembered!” Dan protested. “Have you upset him or something? Because he was acting all weird.”

“How?”

“It’s hard to put my finger on it, really. I didn’t even know you two were mates!”

“Yeah, because we’re not,” Aaron said, looking away. “Weird” was hardly a useful description of someone’s behavior. Aaron wondered if Robert was panicking again. He cancelled his order with Ruby and stood up. “Tell Debbie I had to nip off.”

“Okay, when are you back?”

“Tomorrow,” Aaron said, heading toward the door.

“That’s not nipping, that’s absconding! We got an engine rebuild this afternoon. Aaron!”

He ignored Dan and went for a drive to clear his head. It was just luck that he found Robert walking off along the side of the road. Even from a distance the blond man looked upset. He was walking with his shoulders hunched, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket. The sky was overcast, seeming to match his mood. “What?” Robert asked rudely as Aaron slowed his car down.

“You were looking for me yesterday,” he pointed out as he came to a complete stop.

“Right.”

“Dan said you seemed weird.”

Robert pulled a face and quickly said, “No I didn’t!” The immediate denial did nothing to convince Aaron.

“Alright,” he said, letting it go. “Just thought I’d upset you or something.”

“No,” Robert said, looking off to the side.

“Do you want to go somewhere?” Aaron asked. The other man was clearly not alright.

“Gun shop?”

“What?”

“Never mind,” Robert said as he walked around to the passenger side and got in. Aaron watched as Robert put his seat belt on. He rolled his lips as he waited for Robert to tell him where he was taking him. “Go on, drive then.”

Aaron shook his head. “Where to?”

“I don’t know. Anywhere.” Robert, Aaron came to realize, did not actually mean anywhere. He drove them to Bar West, and Robert balked as soon as they went in.

“What’s this?” he demanded, as if he expected the men around him to pounce.

“Er, a bar?” Aaron said, gesturing at the bar with outstretched hands.

Robert looked around, his already turbulent mood getting darker. He turned back to Aaron, face hard as he asked, “What sort of bar?”

Aaron knew what he was getting at. There were men everywhere, some holding hands. Robert was obviously uncomfortable in a gay bar, but Aaron didn’t care. He was getting tired of this mood, whatever had caused it. “One that sells drinks,” he pointed out smartly.

Robert shook his head, looking around as if he was barely holding himself back from yelling. “Is this a test?” he asked.

“If it is, you failed it."

“Why have you brought me here?” Robert asked, with emphasis on the last word.

“I said where to,” Aaron pointed out angrily. “You said anywhere. This comes under anywhere!” Robert looked around again, as if he expected their surroundings to magically change just because he was angry about it. “Want me to let you in on a little secret?”

“What?”

“They serve people who aren’t gay,” he told him. If Robert needed to hold onto his little label that let him believe he wasn’t gay, or bisexual or whatever, Aaron wasn’t going to push him on it. He turned away to find a table, not caring if Robert decided to walk out. He didn’t. Instead, he sat at the same table with Aaron, and they drank three beers each without saying a word to each other. “That’s forty five,” he finally told Robert, who was still looking around as if the bar offended him. “Forty five minutes, and you haven’t said one word.”

“Yeah, I’m just soaking up the brilliant atmosphere."

“It might help if you contributed.”

“Yeah, well I don’t see you up on a table dancing with your top off,” Robert quipped.

“Weird, because that’s what all gay men do when they’re out. So are you going to tell me what’s up?” Aaron demanded as Robert finished off his beer. 

“Diane gave Andy my dad’s wedding ring.” Aaron nodded slowly, lips compressed as he made an obvious show of understanding. Robert seemed to get that Aaron was humoring him, so he added, “He’s having it melted down so he can make two for him and Katie.”

Aaron shook his head. “That’s… Nice. If you’re into that sort of thing.”

Robert was clearly not into that sort of thing. He started to vent, going on about how he was Jack Sugden’s real son, and Andy was just adopted and didn’t deserve the ring. It was clear then that Robert did not consider Andy his real brother. This, then, had to be the grudge that had gotten between them. Aaron had always wondered what had initially driven a wedge between them, besides Katie cheating on Andy with Robert. Aaron could not pretend to be sympathetic. After all, for years he had felt like Paddy was more of a real father to him than the man he was actually related to. Blood didn't always make a family. Getting angry over Andy inheriting their father’s ring seemed a bit childish, really. When Robert realized Aaron wasn’t going to sympathize, the other man’s handsome features shifted so he looked betrayed and outraged. “Sorry, who’s side are you on here?”

“I just don’t see why there has to be sides,” Aaron said, frowning. “Do you not think you’re being just a bit soft?”

“Yeah, well I don’t expect you to understand it, your family being what it is.”

Aaron nodded angrily, somehow not surprised that Robert was lashing out at him and taking potshots at the Dingles. “Oh, yeah, sleeping with our brothers wives, and all that,” he said, referencing Robert’s history with Katie and Andy. “Don’t be pathetic!”

“Pathetic?” Robert said. His expression clearly showed he felt Aaron had gone too far, and he was about to pull off the kid gloves. “Oh, now I’m pathetic? Might as well go cut myself,” he said scathingly. Aaron looked at him, startled. “Or how did you get those scars- an unfortunate yachting accident?”

Aaron banged his hands on the table, leaning forward threateningly. He saw Robert’s eyes widen, and a small triumphant look briefly show up on his face. He realized then that Robert was looking for a fight. There was nothing he wanted more than to indulge him, but someone had to be the better man here. “Listen,” Aaron said tightly, almost seeing red he was so angry at Robert. “Unless you want a slap, I suggest you keep your mouth shut!”

“Touchy about them, aren’t ya?” Robert taunted.

“You don’t know the first thing about them!”

“Yeah, you don’t know the first thing about me! I mean, look where you brought me!” His voice had been raised, but with a quick glance around, Robert lowered it until it came out squeezed and furious- “A gay bar!”

Robert sat there rubbing his face and shaking his head. “Maybe I know you more than you think,” Aaron told him, disgusted by Robert’s words and behavior, but making a last ditch effort to reach through to him. “Maybe I’m the only one that knows you at all.”

There was a heavy pause as Robert stood from his stool and leaned in close. “Have fun having a drink with your friends,” he said. Then he was gone, walking out of the bar. Aaron had no intention of chasing after him.

 

16 December 2014

The confrontation with Robert ran through Aaron’s mind all night. There was no excusing Robert’s behavior the other day, but Aaron eventually recognized that he may have pushed too hard. Thinking back to a few years ago, when he was in the closet, he knew how explosive his own temper had gotten when he was forced to confront the fact that he was gay. Robert turning on him and making fun of his scars was low, but not the worst thing that could have happened.

When it came down to it, Aaron hadn’t actually meant to rub Robert’s nose in his own sexuality. Aaron knew from experience that it was easier on a bloke when he came to terms with himself, and he knew that Robert was going to muck up his own life, and Chrissie’s, if he didn’t face his fears- but that was the furthest thing from his mind at the time. He’d taken Robert to Bar West because it was a good bar, with stiff drinks, and the older man looked like he could use a pick-me-up. And honestly, Aaron hadn’t thought it would be such a big deal. After all, Robert had looked pretty comfortable with Aaron being gay when he’d had his mouth around Aaron’s cock. It didn’t get much gayer than that. Yet, the sight of complete strangers that wouldn’t recognize him from Moses had Robert shaking his head, huffing and rolling his eyes in offense. Maybe Aaron should have offered to take them somewhere else. He’d just gotten so irritated at Robert’s clear discomfort and open derision that he’d pretty much made up his mind that the other man could take it or leave it, but Aaron wasn’t budging.

Not for the first time, Aaron lost sleep by overthinking about Robert. He was in a sour mood when he woke in the morning, so he decided to avoid his mother and have breakfast at the cafe. It was just his luck that the man himself came in with his wife. They sat one table over, and Aaron had the perfect view of the back of Chrissie’s head and Robert’s stupid face. Thankfully they just came in for drinks, and Chrissie only lingered as long as it took to get her coffee. Aaron was saved from having to decide if he was going to try to talk to Robert by Dan entering the cafe and coming toward him.

It was hardly good news though. Aaron had hoped to get off work early so he could go with Moira to pick Adam up after his release. According to Dan, Debbie wasn’t having it, not after Aaron had skived off yesterday so he could have a fight with Robert somewhere other than the usual places, like the garage, the pub, Home Farm, and at quiet lay-bys. It felt like real torture having to spend the full day at work. He hurried home to the Woolpack as soon as Debbie gave him the nod.

At least it didn’t look like he’d missed much when he finally entered the pub. Moira, James, and Adam were standing at the bar. Adam looked excited, and his voice when he spoke had Aaron smiling like a right muppet. “Come on, man!” he exclaimed impatiently as Victoria poured him a pint, apparently too slowly for his liking. “Got no idea how long I’ve dreamed about this bad boy!” He clapped his hands together once as Victoria brought over his pint.

Adam leaned over the glass, starting to raise it to his lowered face using two hands so as not to spill a single drop. Before he could take a sip, Aaron walked over and said, “Well so much for ‘nice to see you, mate! How are things? I’ve missed ya.’” Aaron held out his arms as Adam put his glass down, smiling.

“Eyyy!” Adam shouted, drawing Aaron into a back pounding hug. “I’ve got a lot of things to tell you! You know what, hold that thought,” Adam said, turning back to his pint and raising it for his first sip. The sip turned into a gulp.

“Hey, go steady!” Moira playfully objected. “You won’t be fit for anything!”

“Yeah, five o’clock start at the farm tomorrow, mate,” James added. “Now that Aaron’s back at the garage full time-” Aaron punched Adam’s arm at this point, still excited to see his friend, and laughing as Adam cringed and squeezed his face as if in pain. “-we need you pulling your weight at the farm,” James finished as the two lads goofed off.

“Hey? Did you actually just say that, I only just got out!” Adam protested, still holding the shoulder Aaron had punched.

“Well, you’ve got a lot to catch up on,” Moira pointed out. “You are a shareholder in the business, remember?”

“Yeah, true,” Adam sighed, and then shifted his attention to Victoria who was still pouring pints. “You going to join us, or what?”

“Er, little thing called work,” she answered sassily. “Marlon’s off.”

Adam slapped his hand on the bar in disappointment. “Another time maybe,” he said. Then he looked to Aaron on his left, and his parents on his right. “So, come on then you lightweights! Are we celebrating or what?” Aaron nodded eagerly.

Moira sighed and reached into her pocket. Her hand came out with a wad of cash. “Victoria, let me know when that runs out,” she said.

“Boom! That’s what I’m talking about!” Adam shouted, slapping the bar again while Aaron tried not to laugh at his friend’s high spirits. Aaron had just taken a sip of the pint Victoria had placed in front of him when Adam turned his full attention on him. “So come on,” Adam said, gently slapping Aaron’s shoulder. “What have I missed? I know you’ve got up to some trouble while I’ve been inside.”

Aaron thought about breaking down cars for Charity to get some extra cash for when Adam was released, and how it had led to Ross stealing Robert’s car. That had been the thing that really sent it all to hell, because then Robert had gotten involved. Then there was the burglary Robert had blackmailed him into... followed by Lawrence’s heart attack, facing off with Ross over Chrissie’s stolen ring, facing off with Robert over the ring, making out with Robert, fighting with Robert over being gay, having sex with Robert in the garage, battering Robert’s car, having sex with Robert again, having a fight with Robert at a gay bar….

As much as Aaron wanted to share it all with Adam, he knew it was a bad idea. So he just shrugged with hardly a pause after Adam’s question. He’d tell his mate what he could, but all the stuff about Robert wasn’t for anyone else to hear. It didn’t take a genius to realize Robert would freak out if he realized anyone else knew about him.

"Time enough for that," Aaron said. "Let's get sauced." That set Adam off, and the question was put off for a bit longer.


	9. Right, nosy! What’s it got to do with you anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the chapter! Less Robron interaction here, because the boys are angry. But, there are plenty of feels and there's Ross in this chapter. He's always fun.
> 
> The next few days will be a bit crazy for me, but I hope to post again by Wednesday or Thursday.

16 December 2014

 

“I know Lucky can be a bit…” Chrissie trailed off, looking for the right word.

“Weird?” Robert offered. It was the kindest word he could think of at the moment, but his thoughts were admittedly slow this morning. He’d slept like the dead the night before, but only because he’d drank to the point of blacking out. He wasn’t in the habit of getting that drunk. You never knew what kind of things you’d admit to in that state, and Robert liked to be in control. He had woken up with a hangover that could fell a horse, but somehow he had pulled himself together enough to choke down some painkillers and meet Chrissie at the cafe. The Americano he had ordered was at least helping to make him alert, if doing nothing for the pain.

“Withdrawn,” Chrissie corrected him, her face unamused and her voice lowered so that Zak Dingle wouldn’t overhear her as he walked by on his way out of the cafe. She was still on edge around Zak since he’d shown up at Home Farm to yell at her about Lachlan being weird around his daughter. Robert supposed he should be happy that at least he hadn’t managed to upset her with his dig at her son. After all, he’d managed to make the rest of his family angry. Just remembering them standing shoulder to shoulder at the bar, regarding him with identical looks of distaste and anger was enough to bring his discontent boiling to the surface again. They had all betrayed him, and then Aaron had found him and had stabbed him in the back by siding with Andy.

Aaron, who was sitting in the cafe, positioned just right so that Robert could see him over Chrissie’s shoulder. Every time Robert’s gaze strayed from his fiancee’s face to that of Aaron’s, he felt such a seething mix of emotion that he couldn’t possibly begin picking it apart. It was all just jumbled inside. His gut clenched as he took in those blue eyes purposely avoiding his own; his fingers ached to comb through that short dark hair that had been perfectly styled into place; his throat tightened as he watched that strong, lightly furred jaw moving as the other man ate; he shivered as he saw a pink tongue darting out to lick those bowed lips. Robert wanted those eyes to stare back at him, and he wanted to see that hair wild and dampened with sweat. He wanted that mouth on him, and that tongue licking his skin.

On top of all that was a heavy blanket of fury. He was frustrated at Aaron for dismissing Robert’s pain over having his father’s ring given away and melted down, like it was nothing.

Robert should be happy there was anyone left who was on his side, but with his head pounding, and Aaron confusing him just by being there, Robert would almost have preferred to have Chrissie walk out in a snit. Instead, she continued talking about her son. “He’s acting all secretive, and his MP3 player has disappeared,” she was telling him. She had leaned forward, face earnest like she was in the middle of laying out a gripping mystery.

“Oh, well that clinches it!” he mocked her, unable to stop himself. When she sat up straight, he rolled his eyes and added, “Well, he’s a teenage lad. Of course he’s hiding something! I’d be more worried if he wasn’t.”

“Alright, well, I’ve got to go. Team meeting at one of my salons,” Chrissie told him, putting down her unfinished cup of coffee. She said a few more words in parting and asked to meet him at the pub for lunch. Robert absentmindedly returned her kiss when she bent over him, and then she was headed toward the door.

Dan walked in as Chrissie left, and he immediately made his way toward Aaron. Robert didn’t know if he would have wanted to say anything to Aaron, but he was a bit irritated to not at least have the option now that Dan was there talking to him. He found himself shamelessly listening in as Dan spoke. “Alright, so this is where you’ve been hiding, is it?” Dan said, looking scruffy in his work clothes. He came and leaned his hands on the back of a chair close to Aaron and sighed, like he was tired already despite it being the start of the day. “Debbie’s away, so we need you at work, not nicking off seeing Adam.”

“It’s hardly nicking off is it?” Aaron pointed out crossly, while Robert was left wondering who Adam was. “He gets out of prison today. What do you want me to do, just ignore him?”

“Well, you should have thought of that yesterday before you did your little disappearing act. Hope it was worth it, because I’m telling you, Debbie was not happy,” Dan said, before straightening up and moving on toward the counter to order himself something. Robert caught Aaron’s gaze, and as they shared a look, he realized that Aaron had skived off work to spend time with him yesterday. That was actually quite… nice of him, Robert thought. But if the younger man was willing to risk getting in trouble at the garage to spend time with a man he’d had sex with twice, who was this Adam that rated the same treatment?

Robert suddenly felt a keen interest in meeting Chrissie at the pub for lunch, figuring that Aaron and this Adam bloke would eventually make it over to the Woolpack.

He deliberately got there early so he’d have a greater chance of being there whenever Aaron showed up with Adam. They were already there when Robert walked into the pub, and their rowdiness made it clear they had started celebrating a while ago. He found a spot at the bar and watched the two young men start a game of darts. If he had thought Aaron was relaxed around Dan, it was nothing to how he was with Adam. It was strange seeing Aaron so happy; the smile didn’t leave his face even once. It was true that Robert hadn’t known Aaron long, but in the past few weeks it had been clear that the younger man was generally a grouch. He was an entirely different person with Adam here.

Victoria soon found him sitting at the bar and came to nag at him about getting upset over the ring yesterday. Robert was not about to apologize for losing his temper, so he tried to ignore her as he watched the two young men circle one another and take turns at darts. They were sharing easy banter, trading looks, and constantly smiling at one another. A happy looking Christmas tree provided a cheerful backdrop as they stood there laughing together, seeming to be completely unaware of everyone else around them.

It did not escape his notice that Aaron did not glance Robert’s way even once. His attention was entirely on Adam.

Vic would not let up on the topic of Andy though, so Robert turned his back on the men and faced her instead. He sat his glass on the bar and said, “Well, I saw him earlier, and I said he could keep the ring if it meant that much to him- but did he thank me? Or did he tell me to stay as far away from the wedding as possible?”

“I’ll talk to him,” Vic said, her expression softening. Seeing it, he felt some of his rough edges smooth out. It seemed to him that he was always at odds with his family, and had been since he was an adolescent. Being sent away from the village by his own father had broken him up, and it did nothing for his temper to come back to Emmerdale to find that their opinion of him had remained unchanged after ten years. Vic had been so young when Robert had left that she was always more willing to build bridges with him. Her efforts to forge some kind of family bond between them was comforting to him.

“No, don’t bother,” Robert told her with a shake of his head, just glad to not have her angry at him anymore. “He’s probably right; it’s best to stay away…” A particularly raucous fit of laughter drowned out his words, and he turned back toward the two men. “Who is that anyway? New boyfriend?” he asked, suddenly less annoyed by their carefree revelry. Instead, he found himself feeling slightly wistful. Robert was never that friendly with anyone, but he could see how happy they were. He wondered what it’d be like if Aaron were his friend. Maybe then the younger man would take his side when he inevitably came to crossheads with Andy.

“Only the love of his life,” Vic said, to his surprise. Robert could believe it, to see them together. “No, it’s Adam. Moira’s son.”

“Heyyy!” he heard Adam cheer loudly as Aaron threw a dart. Chrissie walked in then, and Robert switched his attention to her.

“Where’s the bottle of red, the cozy table in the corner…?” she asked once she reached him.

Robert realized that he’d just been standing at the bar, drinking and watching Adam and Aaron for the past half hour. “It got busy,” he told her, looking around at all the people around them. Suddenly tired of watching Aaron prance around Moira’s son, Robert eased in closer to Chrissie, and lowered his voice persuasively as he said, “You know what? Why don’t we do this back at home? We’ve got the place to ourselves while your dad is away.”

Chrissie smiled at him, pleased. “As lovely as that sounds, I’m not walking another step without wine.” She stroked his hair and added, “So why don’t you do the honors, and I’ll be back in a minute?” She kissed him briefly, then turned and walked further into the pub.

It would have been better if she had agreed to go. Instead, they stayed long enough for the young men to settle down at a table, and Ross Barton to come in and start shooting his mouth off at them. Suddenly Chrissie rose from her seat beside Robert and started for the exit. “Chrissie, are you alright?” Robert asked, alarmed.

“It was him, Ross Barton! He was one of the men that attacked us!” she hissed, having recognized the thief’s voice.

“What?” Robert said, feeling the blood leave his face. Chrissie did not respond, and instead turned on her heel and tried to put some distance between her and Ross. Robert was fast behind her. He could barely contain his fear that Ross had ruined everything, and he’d be found out. Luckily, she seemed to think Robert was simply distressed over being in the presence of the thief. They left the Woolpack and went home, where she tried to dial the police. He barely managed to convince her to wait, and let him confront Ross himself. It was a testament to just how persuasive he could be when the situation called for it.

Robert sped to Ross’ and banged on the door until the idiot answered. Annoyingly, when Ross opened the door and saw him, his first words were, “You really are more stupid than I thought!”

“Funny. I could say the same about you,” Robert said, pushing his way inside and checking around to see if anyone else was home.

“Oh, well make yourself at home, why don’t you,” Ross snarled as he watched Robert look around.

“What part of keep away from Chrissie didn’t you understand?” Robert demanded, furious.

“What are you on about?” Ross asked, looking completely oblivious. “I haven’t been anywhere near her!”

“No? No, you just decided to kick off in front of the whole pub! Brilliant, because now she’s recognized your voice.” Ross stared at him, possibly surprised. His look was intolerably vapid, at any rate. Robert reflected that if he ignored the stupid look on his face, Ross was handsome in a similar way to Aaron, if you liked tough, bearded thugs. But Aaron was sharp and never had trouble understanding the big picture, whereas Ross could only sometimes manage to be cunning in a sneaky and underhanded way. Only sometimes. The rest of the time, his stupidity just astounded the mind.

Ross tried to muscle his way out of the issue, crowding Robert’s space and pointing threateningly at him. “If your bird hadn’t of showed up, she wouldn’t have heard my voice in the first place. So much for your master plan,” he scoffed, referring to Robert's very easy and basic plan that they should all avoid each other.

“And what about when she calls the police? What then?”

“I’ll deny it! Front it out if I have to!” Robert shook his head, incredulous. Ross seemed to understand that Robert doubted the effectiveness of this plan. “It’s not like I haven’t been there before.”

Again Robert shook his head. “That’s it? Sum total of your genius?” he mocked.

“It’s either that, or drop you in it,” Ross said, playing it cool as he turned the tables. See? Cunning underhandedness. “So do yourself a favor, and don’t push your luck.” Ross turned away, heading for the entryway as if he was sure he’d had the last word.

He hadn’t.

There was no way Robert could allow Chrissie to call the police. Ross’ plan of trying to bluster his way through questioning was unacceptable. It was too likely to fail. He had to make it so that there was no way she could call the police. So once Ross’ back was turned, he threw himself at the other man, knocking his face into the door-frame to the entryway. There was a loud thump, letting Robert know that Ross would have bruises later. The thief gasped, but recovered quickly, turning on Robert and kneeing him in the stomach. He groaned, falling over the back of the couch and hugging his belly, realizing that the other man had possibly meant to aim lower.

They scuffled, knocking each other about the room until their energy flagged. The fight ended with Ross sprawled on the sofa, gasping, and Robert leaning tiredly against a wall. He finally managed to make his way to the kitchen so he could grab a bag of frozen peas from the freezer. As he iced his face, Robert explained his plan. Chrissie could not possibly call the police if there was a risk of Robert being arrested for beating Ross up.

“It looks bad enough,” Robert said as Ross dabbed at his cut lip.

“Well you know me, always happy to help,” Ross said, examining the blood on his fingertips.

“If anyone asks, you’ve got cracked ribs as well,” Robert told him, wincing as the bag of peas scraped his tender skin.

Ross dropped his hand heavily into his lap and looked at Robert as if he was mad. “Do you actually think this is going to work?”

“You got any better ideas? Unless you want me to break them for real?”

“Don’t push it,” Ross warned, glaring up at him.

“If you’ve got broken ribs, it’ll be more likely I’ll be dumped for GBH, and there’s no way Chrissie’s going to want that.”

Ross raised his hand again to gently wipe at his mouth. “You hope.”

Robert tossed the bag of peas into Ross’ lap in annoyance. “Do us all a favor and stick to what I told you! We might actually get out of this mess.”

 

17 December 2014

Chrissie was upset when she saw Robert’s banged up face, but he managed to convince her that he’d get in trouble if she called the police. She gave him the cold shoulder for going out and beating up Ross, and thereby ruining their chances of settling the matter legally. That night, when they went to bed, she turned her back on him and pulled the covers up high. It was a clear message that he wouldn’t be getting any that night.

Robert found himself curiously fine with that, which was unusual for him. He had a strong libido, and his refractory period was negligible. Once he caught his breath, he was usually good to go again. But that night, he laid in bed next to Chrissie and knew he should want to invade her half of the bed, run his hands over her body, and do his damnedest to convince her to forgive him. Yet there he lay, eyes getting heavy while his cock lay flaccid. Partly it was the battering Ross had given him. There were parts of him that hurt, and Robert had never liked physical discomfort. It’s why he liked to settle matters with words and smarts instead of his fists. It’s also why he made a good businessman, and a terrible farmer.

His physical discomfort was only a small part of it. Mostly, he just needed time to think. For almost two weeks, since he’d first kissed Aaron, he’d simultaneously spent too much time thinking and not enough. His mind had been going nonstop as the worry ate at him. The consequences and fears attached to what he’d done refused to go away. At the same time, he’d thrown all those reasonable thoughts to the wind, and he’d acted solely on his wants.

He had wanted Aaron. He couldn’t straighten out all of his motivations for pursuing the younger man, but obviously it was largely physical attraction. Robert had been attracted to other men before, but never like this. Aaron just seemed to have the right combination of features that appealed to Robert. For god’s sake, he and Chrissie shared a superficial resemblance to one another! They were both blue-eyed brunettes, with expressive faces that let Robert know generally where he stood with them. Clearly the two were very different otherwise, but it seemed Robert had a type.

Actually, the more he thought about it, the more evident the similarities became. It was actually somewhat disturbing, and it unsettled Robert enough that he lay in bed, wide awake and listening to his fiancee’s even breathing in the dark. Both Chrissie and Aaron had an air of security about them, an unshakable sense of self that grounded them. Robert realized he found this quite attractive, and that he was in fact drawn to it. He had never felt grounded before. He had confidence, lots of it, but had always been missing the security both Chrissie and Aaron had, which seemed to allow them to have zero interest in what others thought about them. Robert cared, and it made him lash out at Andy, Diane, Vic, his father, Lawrence- anyone who affected his life who thought badly of him. But Chrissie and Aaron were wholly unapologetic about who they were. They were both independent.

Where they really differed was that Chrissie shared Robert’s ambition and practicality. Together they were a power couple, willing to support each other and do whatever it took to get what they wanted. Even if it meant being ruthless, there was little they wouldn’t do to elevate each other and their family. This was completely opposite of what Robert had been able to understand about Aaron in the short weeks he had known him. Aaron wasn’t afraid to bend or break rules, but he didn’t seem to be self motivated. He didn’t do things just to please himself, otherwise he’d have been right next to Ross during the robbery, ransacking Home Farm. He was not ambitious, or he wouldn’t still be mucking about with cars and sharing living space with his mum.

Aaron was also not easy to impress. Robert may have gotten close enough to get into bed with him, but he had the definite impression that Aaron still thought he was a waste of space. The younger man flew into rages anytime Robert had tried to win him over with charm, or worse, with his money. He was strangely selfless and sincere for someone with a criminal record, and he seemed to demand honesty and compassion from others before he’d give them his respect. That had been made clear enough to Robert when Aaron had voiced his disgust over Robert’s treatment of his fiancee. This was different from Chrissie. Robert had impressed her from the beginning with his business acumen and his charm. As for her trust issues, Robert had quickly been able to overcome those with flattery and a willingness to devote himself to meeting her needs.

Yes, there were more similarities between Chrissie and Aaron than originally met the eye, but once again Robert was over-thinking without actually getting anywhere.

So he had a type- who cared? Regardless of what had drawn him to Aaron, it was over. It was originally supposed to be just a one off anyway. He’d briefly thought they might carry on after the second time, but that wasn’t really an option now. They had hardly been on good terms after he'd walked out on Aaron at Bar West. Besides, Robert had satisfied his curiosity, and now it was time to shape up and get focused. He was marrying Chrissie. They were making plans and putting together a wedding in a month or two. These were the things that mattered. His life with her mattered. She was his rock, his touchstone. If he turned his thoughts to her, he would get past this mess with Aaron and Ross.

He went to sleep content in his own mind, and woke in a positive mood.

Robert dressed and made his way jauntily down the stairs to the office where Lawrence and Nicola were already at work. The older man was leaning over her while she worked at her desk, clearly showing her something. “Just nipping out. Tenant stuff,” he called out to them on his way toward the door.

“Well- Chrissie’s department, surely!” Lawrence protested.

“Thought you’d have enough work of your own!” Nicola added.

“Chrissie’s getting her nails done,” Robert explained, diverting from his route to the door and coming toward them instead. “I thought it might take her mind off of things.”

“Why, what’s wrong?” Nicola said with interest.

“Er, Nicola,” Lawrence interrupted, “would you do us a favor and take an early lunch?”

She sat there, clearly offended. Finally she raised her hands, as if to say she wasn’t going to let it get to her. “So nice to know I’m trusted!” she said as she stood up from her chair. Robert and Lawrence waited for her to clear the room before the older man came and sat on the corner of the desk closest to Robert.

“Look, is Chrissie going to be okay?” he asked. Robert felt satisfaction settle inside at how Lawrence was appealing to him, trusting now that Robert had a closer relationship with Chrissie than he did. Time was, Lawrence was certain he knew his daughter best. Now he understood that Robert would always be Chrissie’s chosen confidante, and if there was anything to know about her, then he would know it.

“Well she has to be,” Robert told Lawrence, shrugging. “I mean, we’ve done everything we can, haven’t we?”

“Well, some of us have,” Lawrence agreed, gesturing at Robert. He was clearly remembering how Robert had supposedly protected their family during the robbery, and acknowledging how he had gone after Ross to beat him up after Chrissie pointed her finger at him as the thief.

“Look, if it’s who Chrissie thinks it is, I’ve taken him on before and I wasn’t scared!”

“Well, maybe you should be,” the older man warned. “Kid’s a violent criminal!”

“We don’t know that for certain!” Robert pointed out quickly, not wanting Lawrence to look too closely at Ross Barton.

“We do now!” Chrissie said from behind him. Robert turned so he could see her walking into the room. She looked far more put together than she had when he’d returned from his scuffle. She had gone to cower beneath a blanket as they talked last night. Now, she was clad in a tight brown leather jacket, and the heels of her boots clicked authoritatively against the floor as she walked, demanding attention from everyone within hearing distance.

“What do you mean?” Robert asked, his heart sinking. She looked too pleased with herself for his liking.

“I just found out some of the boy’s colorful history,” she told him as she took her seat at her desk. “Try carjacking and intimidation! I’ve never been more certain it’s him,” she said triumphantly.

“Right! Police it is, then,” Lawrence said, making his way toward the phone on Chrissie’s desk. Robert could feel the entire situation slipping from his control.

“B-b-but w-w-w-what about the battering I gave him yesterday!” Robert stuttered, dismayed that the older man was suddenly dropping him in it.

“Well, we’ve got good lawyers, and frankly I’d rather risk a minor assault charge. I don’t want that little psycho running free!” Lawrence picked up the phone and started to dial. Robert turned away so that neither one of them could see his face. With the way he felt, he knew he had to have blanched. He walked away, trying to think quickly.

There was no help for it. He’d have to go back to Ross and tell him that the plan had failed and he needed to leave town because the police would soon be on their way. Which meant Robert would have to warn Aaron, too. He didn’t want to even think about that conversation. Ross was bad enough, but he was at least predictable. He’d be angry, he’d threaten Robert, he’d bitch and moan, but ultimately he’d do what he was told because deep down he knew Robert’s plans would have a better chance of success than anything he could think up. Although granted, “grab your stuff and run” wasn’t one of Robert’s best plans. Aaron was another matter. He had a hard time predicting what Aaron would say or do.

He drove into the village and fortunately saw Ross walking to the grocery. He pulled over and got out of the car. “Ross, we’ve got a problem,” he said, almost panicked.

“Get stuffed!” the idiot said, clearly not wanting to talk to him.

“Just listen to what I’ve got to say!” Robert ordered, aggravated.

“If you come near me again, I will lay you out!”

“Oy!” Aaron said, coming out of the grocery and frowning at them both. He was wearing his blue coveralls and carrying a canned drink. “Keep your voice down!” Ross fell silent, and Robert suddenly thought back to the first time he’d met Aaron. The mechanic had done the talking for both him and Ross, and despite the fact that they were clearly not mates, Ross had let him take charge. The thug had never shown the same readiness to follow Robert’s lead. Having Aaron present would work to his advantage. He was sure he could get Ross to fall into line more quickly this way.

Robert looked around to make sure those who were walking around the village weren’t near enough to overhear them. “The police are on their way.”

“What? I thought you said you sorted it yesterday!”

“Chrissie found out about your record.” Ross looked away angrily, then looked back at Robert, shaking his head as if barely holding himself in check.

“Mate, you better hope that they don’t find me!” he threatened. Robert saw him glance at Aaron once before he jogged off, clearly intent on getting out of town as quickly as possible. Aaron, however, looked unruffled. As soon as Ross was off, Aaron turned and started making his way back to the garage. His steps were unhurried.

Robert followed after him, the feeling of frantic urgency not having dissipated yet. “Look, I know you don’t want to talk to me right now,” Robert said as he came up alongside him.

“You reckon?” Aaron said. He sounded as interested in Robert as he would be in a fly. Robert really couldn't blame him for being upset. Using Aaron's scars to get a reaction from the younger man was not one of his better moments. He wasn't stupid; he had felt the raised skin scattered across Aaron's hard stomach when they had come together in the darkness of his room, and Robert had guessed immediately what they were. They were too numerous and too purposeful to have been caused by some accident. Barring torture, it was clear they were self-inflicted. He had no idea what could have shaken Aaron, who had attracted Robert with his security and steadiness. Robert couldn't guess at the reasons for it, but obviously it had been bad. Yet he couldn't help himself when he'd decided to lash out, deliberately trying to make Aaron hurt the way Robert was hurting after his family betrayed him.

“The police are going to be all over here in a minute. You need to get away as well. Just-”

“I’ll think about it,” Aaron interrupted, his voice quiet and utterly dispassionate. 

“No, I’m not mucking about, Aaron!” Robert shouted. He suddenly found his fingers clenched on either side of the blue coveralls where Aaron had left it unzipped over his chest. They stood together, faces startlingly close. Despite the gravity of the situation, Robert felt his body reacting to the aggression between them. The younger man looked down at his hands pointedly, and Robert forced himself to let go. When he didn’t immediately give him some breathing room, Aaron stepped forward, expression threatening. Robert gave ground.

“Look, just get yourself away,” Robert said, and he escaped before there could be a confrontation between them. Aaron was driven from his mind entirely when he neared his car, and he found that the police were already pulled up in front of Ross’ place. Robert quickly got in his car, and the moment his door shut, he saw them leading the thief out in cuffs through his rear view mirror. Robert couldn’t hear what was said, but he saw Finn Barton approach. Ross was escorted into the car, followed by Finn. Did they think the lad was Ross’ accomplice? But he wasn’t placed in cuffs, so that couldn’t be it. He worried at his thumbnail as the police drove off.

Everything was falling apart, and his options were dwindling.

There was no choice but to go home and confess everything to Chrissie. Robert didn’t know how he’d get her to forgive him, but he wasn’t willing to lose her. Better that she should hear the truth from him, than to hear it from the police once Ross had his chance to drop him in it.

“The police said they were going to pick up Ross,” she told him happily as soon as he came home. He looked at her, desperately wishing things were different. Would she even want to marry him now? Surely she loved him enough to overlook his mistakes? They fit so well together! They fit, they were meant to be together. She had to see it, and she would forgive him.

“Yeah, they did,” he replied absently. "I, er, saw them. Look, er…” Robert trailed off, rubbing his chin as he tried to figure out how to tell her the truth. He’d come to stand in front of her, and she was looking up at him with worry. He reached out and grabbed her hands in his, longing for a connection between them. “You’re not going to like this, but I-I’m going to tell you, because w-we’re going to need to find a way of working through this, you and me.” He could barely stand the way she was looking at him, her worry shifting far too quickly into suspicion.

“That was the police!” Lawrence interrupted loudly, coming into the room from the office. Robert’s back was to him, so he couldn’t see his face but Lawrence sounded upset. He knew. The police had called to notify him that Robert had been the mastermind of the robbery. He didn’t want to turn around, and lose this moment where Chrissie still had her hands in his, trusting him completely. But she pulled away and stepped around him so that she could see her father past Robert’s tall frame. He turned to face the old man, trying to prepare himself for the moment Lawrence revealed everything.

“They’ve let him go!”

“What?” Chrissie demanded in disbelief.

“Yeah- without charge! Alibi apparently! He says he was with his younger brother.”

“Finn? And they believed him? Is this what you were going to tell me?” she asked Robert, reaching out to run her hand along his arm. He stared at her, struck dumb with shock. How could Ross have gotten off? He was guilty!

“How would he know?” Lawrence said as Robert continued to stare at Chrissie. He sounded so suspicious that it kickstarted Robert’s brain, making him turn his head toward the old man. Lawrence was standing there with his arms crossed, waiting for Robert to explain.

“I dunno- I just-” Robert took a steadying breath and turned back to Chrissie. “You need to consider the possibility that… you may have got this wrong.”

In the blink of an eye, she went from concerned to angry. “Oh, right, you want to back off? I mean one moment you’re knocking him senseless, and the next you’re running away! I don’t…” she tailed off in confusion, staring at him with no understanding.

Robert looked between them, knowing that he had to be at his most persuasive or they would turn on him. That’s what the Whites did. One moment he was on good footing with them, and the next they were shoving him off a cliff. “If we want Ross Barton out of our lives, we’re best just leaving him alone!”

“But the alibi’s a lie, it has to be,” Chrissie protested. Robert could see the moment a light bulb went off in her head. “For all we know, Finn could be his accomplice!”

Robert couldn’t help but laugh humorlessly at that, making both father and daughter turn their attention on him. He held out his hands in supplication. “He’s mates with Victoria! He hasn’t got anything in him like that, trust me!”

“Well, we’ll get Ross,” Lawrence said, arms crossed and one hand lifted to stroke his chin thoughtfully. He looked like a villain in a B movie, except without the pointy goatee. “And whoever his Neandertal sidekick was,” Lawrence added.

To be fair, of the two thieves, Ross was more of a Neandertal. But that was the sort of thing that would get Robert in trouble if he said it aloud, so he kept his mouth shut and joined his new family for lunch.

 

23 December 2014

 

It was nearly a week before he saw Aaron again. The younger man had apparently done as Robert suggested and gotten out of town. In the time he was gone, things settled back down. Neither Chrissie nor Lawrence were happy to see Ross go free, but there was nothing they could do about it either. It did not take long for his panic over possibly getting caught to leave him. He was back to his regular confident self within three days. By the fourth, Robert was getting bored.

Besides Chrissie, there was no one around that he wanted to spend any length of time with. The possible exceptions were Vic and Diane, but things were not yet truly fixed between them since his outburst over the ring. And as much as he loved his sister and his stepmother, they weren’t friends that he could kick back and share drinks with. He’d had friends to socialize with before moving to Emmerdale, but contact had naturally decreased with distance.

So on the fourth day after the whole police mess, Robert found his thoughts straying back toward Aaron. He thought of how relaxed and open Aaron had been the time he saw him with Adam. Obviously they could never be that friendly with each other in public, but it would be nice to have someone to talk to other than Chrissie. She was everything to him, but she was also used to getting her own way all the time. It was always about what she wanted to do or talk about, and Robert’s needs came second. Spending time with her just wasn’t the same as going out for a pint with friends.

Aaron was the only bloke in Emmerdale who struck Robert as being interesting. It didn’t hurt that he was good looking as well. And he was good in bed.

On the fifth day, Robert woke after Chrissie had gotten up for the day. He was left to his own devices, and he slid his hand down his chest to cup himself through his pajama bottoms. He massaged himself, thinking about how he had pressed Aaron against the door of the younger man’s bedroom and slowly begun to undress him. Robert freed himself from his pants as he thought of that first press of naked skin to naked skin. He started to stroke himself as he thought about how toned Aaron’s body was, and how tight his skin stretched over those wiry muscles. Robert quickened the pace when he remembered the taste of Aaron’s cock on his tongue, and how the silky length had filled his mouth. He came with a muffled shout as he thought of Aaron preparing himself, and how good it had felt to finally sink inside the hot tightness of the other man.

Aaron returned to Emmerdale on the sixth day. He was unsurprisingly sitting with Adam at the Woolpack, looking entirely too comfortable without Robert. For some reason he thought the younger man would have texted him to let him know he was back, but then he remembered that Aaron was probably still angry about how Robert had mocked his scars and protested being taken to Bar West. The young mechanic was relaxing in an armchair, slouched comfortably with his hands crossed over his stomach. He looked good with his black shirt stretched tight over his pecs. A dark purple hoodie hugged the breadth of his shoulders. Robert saw a small smile appear on his face as he kidded Adam about listening to Coldplay. He decided then that carrying on an affair with Aaron could hardly be any worse than cheating on Chrissie in the first place. All he had to do was convince Aaron to go along with it. Robert could be very convincing.

The two younger men appeared to be discussing different ways to earn extra cash. Aaron had just turned down one idea, so Adam said, “Well, what about a local cab firm?” Aaron made a face, clearly not loving the idea. “Come on, man, we’re crying out for one! I nearly missed my curfew last week because I had to wait forty minutes for one!”

Aaron was shaking his head. “Yeah, but my mum and Debs already tried it though. It doesn’t make enough money.”

“That’s because it didn’t have us two running it! Oh, and by the way, when we do go into business, don’t think you can go swanning off whenever you feel like it!” Adam warned, but his tone was amused.

Robert watched Aaron react to that comment, how his face moved as he pretended to be affronted. “Didn’t realize we were getting married!” he quipped.”And anyway, whatever we decide to do, we’re going to need an investor.”

Those words were like music to his ears. Despite not being part of the conversation, Robert called out, “Yeah, well, you might find a bank stupid enough to lend you some money if you get a proper business plan together.”

The back of Adam’s armchair was facing Robert, and he saw the young man crane around to peek at him as he spoke. He ended up turning back to face Aaron when his mate raised his eyebrows and said, “Oh. Right, nosy! What’s it got to do with you anyway?”

“Sorry,” Robert said, raising his hands in surrender. He hadn’t the smallest intention of surrendering at this point, but Aaron seemed to take it for granted and turned back to Adam.

“Well, looks like you’re going to have to sell your share of the farm then.”

“Sound,” Adam said. “Get your mum to remortgage this place and I’ll match you penny for penny.” Robert saw Aaron smirk at that. Adam’s phone rang, and while he was occupied with that, Aaron rose and stood at the bar next to Robert to get more drinks.

“Diane’s just changing the barrel,” Robert told him, trying to start a conversation while they waited for Diane to return to serve them.

Aaron leaned his elbows against the bar. He stared straight ahead, avoiding looking at Robert. “That’s alright, I’m in no rush.” Robert watched as Aaron sucked his upper lip into his mouth, and when it re-emerged, it was reddened and wet.

“You can buy me a pint if you like, to say thanks for smoothing things over,” Robert joked, smiling. Aaron wouldn’t even look at him, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He let his smile go and lowered his voice. It came out deep, and intimate. “Alright, then um, I’ll buy you a pint.”

Aaron laughed, letting his head drop to his arms on the bar for a moment. When he rose up, it was clear despite his smile that he wasn’t pleased, but he was at least finally looking at Robert. His tone was harsh, but his voice was it’s usual sexy rasp as he said, “I don’t want anything from you.” Robert watched him walk away, and felt his interest quicken at Aaron’s sass.

A short while later, Aaron went to the toilets while Adam came to the bar to grab them some drinks. Robert took his chance to start making inroads to Aaron’s life. “Your local taxi firm sounds like a good idea,” he told Adam.

Aaron’s mate looked at him with some surprise, but he quickly warmed to him since Robert was complimenting his idea. “Thank you!” he said, as if feeling validated. “Makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean it costs a fortune getting from Hotten all the time!”

“Well, it’s tricky business doing it with mates though,” he said conversationally, trying to feel Adam out. “It could be the end of a beautiful friendship.”

“No, what are you talking about?” Adam said, laughing as he looked at Robert. He seemed completely confident with where he and his mate stood together. He was clearly accustomed to others responding poorly to Aaron’s gruffness, because he reassured Robert, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep him in line, the muppet that he is!”

“I mean, you’ll need a few quid to keep you going, until you get established, but… could be a goer.”

“What, are you joking? You want to invest?” he asked, pleased. Adam was more than happy to lean against the bar and start fleshing out his ideas. All Robert needed to do was nod and give encouraging sounds. It almost surprised him how easy it was to get Adam talking.

Robert couldn’t help but compare the two friends. Adam was a lot like an overgrown puppy, full of eagerness and excitement, while Aaron was like a scrappy cat, far more likely to take a swipe at you and hiss angrily than he was to cuddle and purr. As Adam carried on explaining the intricacies of the taxi firm idea, Robert couldn’t help but think of Aaron stretched out beneath him. He could think of at least one way to make the younger man purr.


	10. I can change my mind, can't I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More feels, as the boys patch things up. 
> 
> I'll follow up with the next chapter on Saturday night.

23 December 2014

 

It was difficult leaving Emmerdale again. He couldn’t escape the low level of dread that had settled in the pit of his stomach as he packed a bag, so he could lie low while the police sniffed around the village.

Aaron wouldn’t say that leaving was the most difficult thing he’d ever done. Not when he could compare it to leaving the first time around, and taking the blame for a crime he hadn’t committed just so that Adam would be safe. Not when he could compare it to his struggle to come to terms with being gay. And not when he compared it to following Jackson’s wishes when he decided he no longer had the will or desire to live. When held up against that, most of everything else seemed like a piece of cake.

It didn’t mean he was thrilled about leaving. He wanted to scream at Robert for this mess, and the stupid robbery that had resulted in unwanted attention from the police. The pace of his life in the village had been slow and steady before Robert had barged into the tractor shed to find Ross and Aaron standing over the stolen Audi. Since then, Aaron felt like he was in a plane flying through turbulence. He’d be knocked about and the world around him would tremble, but it would be followed by a brief lull that would fool him into thinking things were going back to normal. He couldn’t say if the excitement over the past month was good or bad, only that it was different.

He could blame Robert for this mess all he wanted, but that would mean ignoring the part his own decisions had played in all this. He’d let Charity persuade him to help her with the chop shop. No one had forced him to do it. He’d made that choice on his own. Aaron had his reasons- one reason, really. He wanted to have money ready for when Adam got out of prison. He told himself it was so that Adam had something to fall back on, that would maybe help him keep on the straight and narrow. Deep down he had known the excuse was flimsy. Adam would not have wanted Aaron breaking the law just to save his own neck later on down the line if he got desperate for cash. It was, after all, difficult to find work with a criminal record.

Aaron had time to think about things as he packed up and tried to plan out what he’d need to take with him if his trip away from Emmerdale had to be permanent. He thought it was more than a little possible that he had just wanted to shake things up a bit. His life had settled into a routine since he came back from France. He got up, went to work, came home, and sometimes, to relieve some of the tension, he went into Hotten or Leeds to see if he could meet a bloke who wasn’t interested in anything long term. Aaron had settled into a state of waiting while Adam was locked up, as if he had put everything on hold until he got out.

At first, he had maybe enjoyed the quiet life after everything had been straightened out with the police. After all, he’d spent two years on the run, and it hadn’t been easy. Aaron had at least had Ed during the first year in France. It was exciting at first. The two of them had avoided tourist traps and had toured as many bars as they could, laughing as they practiced their broken French after a few beers had loosened their tongues. Then Ed had gotten wrapped up in training, and once the initial excitement wore off their relationship, Aaron had felt it all crumbling apart. Ed had been focused on making a name for himself, and Aaron had no real prospects. He was a wanted man; the only jobs he could find where they didn’t care to ask too many questions about his background were temporary, and labor intensive. He’d taken lots of odd jobs, but there was no denying that he had to lean heavily on Ed for support.

He often thought that Ed hadn’t broken up with him first because he felt guilty for begging Aaron to go to France with him in the first place. He’d never wanted to be someone’s charity case, so he’d called it quits and had gone off on his own. Sometimes he had a place to stay. Sometimes he didn’t. It reminded him of when his father had kicked him out of the house, before he’d come to live with his mum in Emmerdale. The difference was that he wasn’t a scared kid anymore. He did the best he could with what he had. When Aaron had to make the choice of spending his meager earnings on his phone or a place to stay, he chose the phone. He would call his mum and Paddy as often as he dared, and tell them he was alright. He’d lie and say things were going well for him in France.

Aaron didn’t want to think about what it would mean for him if he had to make a run for it once more. He packed a bag, rang a mate in Brighton, made arrangements to visit, and kept his goodbyes short lest Paddy and his mum realize something was amiss. He dreaded having to tell them that he might never be coming back home again, but when nearly a week went by without Chas asking him why the police had come around to search for him, he decided to take his chances and come home.

His relief at finding Emmerdale peaceful and not overrun with the police was short lived. The first person he ran into after paying off the taxi was Debbie, and she was not pleased that he had run off without warning. He was explaining about staying with a friend in Brighton when she interrupted him in irritation. “Oh, yeah, whatever, Aaron. I pay you to put your head under a bonnet, so just get on with it, please!”

The encounter left him annoyed, but he could hardly blame her for being cross with him. Aaron carried his bag inside the Woolpack and went upstairs to freshen up. He took the time to trim his beard, and when he found his way downstairs to the pub, he was feeling halfway decent. He entered the pub from the door behind the bar, and encountered Diane there working. She turned to look at him and caught sight of him rubbing at his beard. “I hope you haven’t left that bathroom in a mess!” Diane said.

Aaron nodded and teasingly said, “Welcome home Aaron, nice to see you!”

“It’s all very well looking gorgeous, but it’s a trail of destruction you leave in your wake!” Aaron laughed, his good mood returning until he saw Ross. The other man approached him at the bar while Diane disappeared into the back. Ross looked a bit twitchy and suspicious as he came up to Aaron.

“Didn’t see you slide back into town!” Ross hissed.

“Didn’t know I needed your permission.”

“Well, I thought you might want to check with me, make sure they weren’t waiting with a big noose for you up at the manor.”

“Well you’re still here, aren’t ya?” Aaron pointed out. Ross just stood there, looking at him, so Aaron continued. “So I’m guessing it’s all blown over then.”

“Robert has got Lawrence to back off.”

“Then it’s all sorted.”

“Yeah! We’re practically bezzies now. It’s not him we need to be worried about though,” Ross said, looking concerned. “It’s that Robert I’ll be keeping an eye on. I don’t know what his game is but-” he whistled as he shook his head, somehow managing to get it across to Aaron that something about Robert’s behavior had raised a red flag with him. “I want nothing to do with it.”

Aaron wanted to dismiss his concerns as an overreaction to thinking he’d be landed in prison. Ross was as foolish as they came, but Aaron knew the other man would have been locked up by now if he didn’t have enough instinct and brains to stay ahead of the game. If he thought Robert might become an issue, then Aaron had to at least keep his concerns in mind. He just didn’t know quite what to say to Ross, or how he should feel about this. Obviously Aaron already knew the older man wasn’t as spotless as he liked to pretend he was, while he sat up in his manor, drinking wine with his fiancee and acting like the lot of them shat gold and bedded down in stacks of money. But if Ross was worried after working with Robert, how was Aaron supposed to feel after having done one better and slept with the man?

Ross’ concerns might not be so disconcerting if Aaron hadn’t already noticed Robert’s tendency to panic when cornered. He’d gotten ugly at Bar West when he had gotten defensive, and he’d tried to buy Aaron off when he thought he’d go to Chrissie. He was clearly a man who wanted things his way, and his vicious relationship with Andy proved that Robert didn’t react well when things didn’t go his way. So what did that mean for Aaron, if Robert decided he was a risk to his relationship with Chrissie? 

But no, Aaron was just borrowing trouble now. After all, it wasn’t like there was anything going on between them anymore. Before their fight at Bar West, Aaron had gotten the impression that Robert might want to carry on with him, but it seemed well and truly ended after they had butted heads. If they had called it quits, then there was no reason for Robert to try and keep him quiet.

Aaron would just have to keep his distance, and prove to Robert that he didn’t want any trouble.

He definitely wasn’t looking to cozy up to Robert when the older man turned up at the Woolpack later. Aaron sat with Adam and did his best to ignore the leggy blond that kept tossing longing looks at him, as if he’d forgotten their one off had already gone on longer than it should have, and they hadn’t left things on good terms. Aaron did the smart thing and shot down Robert’s attempt to weasel into the conversation he was having with Adam. When Aaron approached the bar to order another beer, he gave Robert the cold shoulder and outright told him he didn’t want anything to do with him when Robert tried to buy him a pint.

Aaron stepped out for just a minute, but when he came back he saw Robert talking to Adam. He knew then that he’d have to be more direct. He didn’t have to hear what was said between them to know it didn’t mean anything good for him.

 

24 December 2014

 

Aaron hadn’t yet decided how he wanted to approach his issue with Robert, so instead of dwelling on it, he threw himself into celebrating Andy’s stag do. Everyone arrived in costume, and the drinks were flowing as the night wore on. It was frustrating then, to have Robert turn up and sit at the bar, trying to look inconspicuous. It reminded Aaron of how the older man had sat there the day before, listening in on his conversation with Adam. For a bloke who seemed to demand everyone’s attention all the time, he seemed to hang around on the fringes a lot, like he was almost nervous to join in on others’ fun.

Determined to ignore him, Aaron joined in as everyone cooed over the love letter Andy had written Katie when they were kids. Vic asked Finn to do the honors and read the letter aloud. The lad was dressed as a policeman, which caused Aaron a bit of uneasiness, but he listened in as Finn read. “My gorgeous Katie, I think you are well, well fit, so I love you!”

“Aw!” Adam said loudly, laughing. Aaron gave Andy an approving nod and said, “Nice one!” The love letter was more than a bit ridiculous, but it was funny and it gave everyone a chance to laugh. Victoria didn’t want to put Andy too much on the spot, so she had Finn read only a small portion before asking him to pass around copies that they could read quietly if they felt like it. Aaron wasn’t in the mood to sit there reading, so he started up a chat with Adam about the other man’s sudden interest in Vic. It had been a while since Aaron had seen his friend that interested in someone. But Adam was playing it close to his chest, and somehow the conversation shifted to their plans at starting a cab firm.

Adam nodded in Robert’s direction and said, “He’s over there.”

Aaron looked over and watched as Robert accepted a copy of the love letter that was being passed to him. Maybe he’d drunk too much, because he wasn’t following. What did Robert have to do with anything? “You what?”

“The investor for the cab firm?” Adam said. “We had a chat. The man seems interested!”

Once again, Aaron found himself at a loss. He took a moment to compose himself, then nodded and quickly said, “Right, yeah, okay.” What was Robert playing at? If Aaron didn’t know any better, he’d say the other man was interested in carrying on. But that couldn’t be right. Their little fling had ended on a sour note with the scene at Bar West. It was over, wasn’t it?

“Yeah, well don’t sound too excited,” Adam said, somewhat reproachfully. He clearly didn’t understand his mate’s current mood, and felt like Aaron should be pleased.

“Nah, it’s er… It’s great,” Aaron said with a decisive nod. He sat there watching Robert drink as he read Andy’s love letter to Katie. He let the topic drop until they left the pub and went to Adam’s to finish off the night. They sat down at the kitchen table with a six pack and started in. After a moment, Aaron asked, “Do you not think it’ll feel like we’ve got a boss?”

“Yeah,” Adam answered hesitantly. “But we’re going to need the investment from somewhere. If not Robert, then the bank.”

“Yeah, I know, I just-” Aaron cut himself off, scratching his chest through his white shirt in irritation. How could he explain anything to Adam if he couldn’t tell the truth about everything?

“What? Is it him?” Adam demanded, clearly wanting an explanation for Aaron’s tepid reaction at learning they had an investor. He sighed, unable to explain. “Come on mate, I know we don’t know him that well…”

“We know him well enough to know he’s bad news,” Aaron interrupted. “You’ve only got to ask Andy.”

Adam let his arms fall heavily to the table, clearly frustrated. “Which is why we’re going to talk it out first, alright! Make sure it’s all legit. Look, come on, Aaron. You’ve got to admit, it’d be stupid to turn this down flat.”

It’d be stupid not to turn it down flat. Aaron kept silent though. If he couldn’t get Adam to back off, then he was just going to have to get Robert to lose interest in investing.

 

25 December 2014

 

It was the day of Andy’s wedding. Vic should have been smiling, but she looked rather miserable when Aaron found her in the Woolpack’s kitchen. Finn was there too, watching her as she raised her cell phone to her ear. Aaron listened as she said, “I know you’re swerving my calls, Rob. Well, I haven’t got time to be chasing you. I’ve got a full party to cater for, a speech to learn, and I can’t have you turning up for round two! Alright, so just stay home, and have a nice little dysfunctional Christmas with your lot until the wedding’s over. Alright? Thank you!”

She was clearly upset as she ended the call. Aaron pursed his lips and winced like a man who’d just been sucker punched, reacting to her harsh tone. It seemed like a painful message for a bloke to get from his sister on Christmas. “Wow. Nice festive message for your brother!”

“He had a punch up with Andy at my dad’s grave, and threatened to ruin the wedding,” she explained, clearly upset. Aaron straightened at that, glancing over at Finn for confirmation. “It’s the best he’s going to get.”

“Why’s he done that?” Aaron demanded, thinking back on how Robert had spoken about Andy when he told Aaron about the melted-down wedding ring. He’d clearly had quite a bit of resentment toward his adopted brother.

“Because he’s Robert, and he can’t let anything lie!” Vic answered him, her voice beginning to wobble with held back tears. She looked up at the ceiling and wiped under her eyes with her fingers, trying not to smear her makeup. “Oh, not again,” she said, fanning at her face with her hands to stop the tears. “I never flaming cry! This is the third time this morning!”

Finn handed her a tissue. “She just wishes they could get along,” he explained.

“Just for like, one day! Andy said Robert was going on about mum dying, and dad having his favorite.”

“Brings it all back,” Finn told Aaron, passing along a couple more tissues. Vic accepted them gratefully.

“Not that I weren’t thinking about them anyway because they’re not here to see Andy get married!” She took a deep breath, then said, “Weddings suck! Christmas sucks! Can we just cancel it please?”

Vic looked so miserable standing there, that Aaron was suddenly able to come to a decision about Robert. He made his excuses and left Finn to cheer Vic up on his own. Aaron drove to Home Farm in the pouring rain and parked right outside. He texted Robert, and waited until the other man came out. He wore a hooded rain jacket that looked more like something Aaron would wear. Robert let himself into the car, settling into the passenger seat and sweeping the wet hood off his head.

“How am I supposed to explain this?” Robert asked, but he didn’t sound angry about it. He almost sounded teasing.

“Make up whatever excuse you like,” Aaron told him as he gazed out of the windscreen as the wipers did their best to fling the pounding droplets of rain away.

“It’s Christmas Day,” Robert pointed out. When Aaron said nothing, Robert added, “I don’t suppose Adam’s told you about my investment?”

Aaron was too angry to even look at him straight, but he nodded and kept his voice even when he spoke. “Yeah he has. I don’t want it. So I need you to tell him you’re not interested anymore.”

“Alright, is this because I didn’t like your little gay bar?” Robert asked, heat to his voice.

Aaron rolled his eyes and finally turned fully in his seat so he could focus all his attention on this infuriating man. Robert was insufferably good-looking, even when he was sulking. “No. It’s because you’re making your little sister’s life a misery! She told me about the fight. You’re pathetic!”

Robert’s face was confused at first, but at being called pathetic, his expression settled on defensive. Now that Aaron thought about it, he’d called Robert pathetic at Bar West, and immediately after that is when the older man had made fun of his scars. For some reason, it was an insult that got to him. “And what do you care?”

“Vic’s a mate. I care about her.”

“What, and I don’t?”

“You don’t act like it,” Aaron told him. It was Robert’s turn to look away and avoid eye contact.

“Look, I have my reasons, alright?”

“Yeah, ten years ago!” Aaron said, frustrated that Robert was being so childish about this. Robert looked at him again, clearly upset. “Now you just look like some mad control freak!”

“I’m sorry, what’s Vic actually said?” Robert demanded, sounding almost shocked at this line of attack.

“It doesn’t matter,” Aaron said. They were quiet for a heartbeat, and then he added, “I just don’t need to be around people like that.”

“Listen, me and Andy-”

“No!” Aaron shouted, not wanting to hear his excuses. “You listen to me, Robert! You can’t make me take your money!” Robert stared at him, finally falling silent. “I’m done with you,” Aaron told him, turning away once more. “Now get out.”

Robert stared at him for another moment, and then quietly left the car. Aaron watched as Robert walked through the rain. He didn’t bother raising the hood on his jacket this time, and his blond hair was soaked within seconds. He looked like a dog that had been kicked. For a moment, Aaron felt uneasy. Had he been too harsh? 

Aaron worried at his lip, biting it as he stared at the closed door that Robert had disappeared behind. Regardless of whether he’d been too harsh, the important thing was that he’d stood up for Vic. Aaron shifted the car into first and drove off, once more determined to put Robert behind him.

Yet it seemed that every time he tried to put the man out of his thoughts, he wandered straight back in. Aaron had gone straight up to his room when he got home, and just laid in bed for half an hour while he fought off a headache. He’d have liked to take a nap, but he’d promised to join Andy, Vic, Diane, and Doug for a drink in the pub before the wedding. When he came down to the parlor, he could hear Robert talking to someone. Aaron silently approached the door, which stood ajar. He could easily hear every word spoken.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said, and I don’t blame you for hitting me,” Robert was saying. He had to be talking to Andy then. There was a weighted pause before the older man continued, and when his voice came again it wavered with emotion. Aaron eavesdropped, struck at how low Robert sounded. Like he was truly gutted. “I missed out, didn’t I? When I left? You had him longer than I did, in the end.”

“He loved you just the same, Robert!” Diane spoke up, clearly moved by Robert’s openness. “I know he did!”

“Anyway, that’s why I wound you up, and um… And you’re right. I am bitter. And I know I need to let go of it.”

“I’m just sick of all this, Rob,” Andy said quietly.

“Well, that’s why I’m not coming to your wedding. I’m not going to ruin your wedding. I’m not going to show you up in church. I’m sorry about your eye, okay?”

And that was more than enough said. Aaron scuffed his feet on the floor as he approached the door, so that they’d hear him coming before he swung the door open and went in. He’d had to do enough hard apologies that he recognized the point where nothing more could be said, but there was also no graceful way to end the conversation. He was impressed enough by Robert’s change of heart that he thought interrupting the painfully real moment was the least he could do.

“I thought we were having a drink,” Aaron said to the room at large, but he couldn’t help glancing at Robert. The other man met his gaze fleetingly before turning away. He looked pale, and a bit shaky. Everyone else looked somber, like they were all dressed up for a funeral instead of a wedding.

“Oh, yes we are, love,” Diane said, the first of the bunch to gather herself. “Just got a bit sidetracked, that’s all!”

“Did you really mean all that?” Andy asked, not letting it go. Everyone fell quiet once again, and Aaron shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“Well, yeah,” Robert said. “It’s embarrassing, but it’s true.”

“Then you might as well have a pint with us, then.”

“I’d like that.”

“And I suppose you can come to the wedding… If you want to. As long as you stay out of my way,” Andy said, tone lighter than before. It signaled the end of the difficult conversation.

“Thanks,” Robert said, a small smile on his face as he nodded. Aaron would almost say he looked grateful to Andy for extending the olive branch.

“It’s what dad would have wanted.” Andy lead the way out, and Aaron stepped aside to let him pass. The Sugden family and Doug filed out, Robert bringing up the rear.

Their eyes met for just a moment before the blond man walked past. Aaron watched him go, feeling almost proud of him. It was never easy to apologize when you’d screwed things up so badly. Robert had not only done it, but he’d meant it. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

*****

Aaron waited until the last moment to get dressed for the wedding. He wasn’t a fan of suits, in part because they were not comfortable, but largely because he’d mostly only had to wear them to court. He had timed it so that he put the suit on minutes before the wedding was to begin, and set a quick pace to the church. Finn had saved him a seat, and Aaron settled in expecting Katie to turn up momentarily and signal the ceremony to begin.

Instead, they all sat there waiting. Half an hour later, Aaron was slumped in the pew. He was bored and uncomfortable. Finn was trying to ignore his fidgeting beside him, pointedly keeping his eyes front and center. Aaron sighed, letting the air puff out his cheeks just so that he’d have something to focus on.

That’s when the entertainment arrived. Ashley hurried up to Andy, and everyone in the church sat up in their seats, wondering if Katie had done a runner. Aaron craned around to look at the entry when a pair of women’s heels broke the hush that had descended when Ashley appeared. It was Bernice, and not Katie, who entered in a wedding dress. They all watched as the blonde woman stood there happily, holding a stolen bouquet. “Bernice, what are you doing!” Andy cried, his voice rising in pitch as he stared at her in shock.

“Getting my man back,” she answered. Aaron realized his mouth had fallen open at some point he was so surprised. Bernice quickly made her way over to Andy. “Don’t marry her! Have me! I know you miss me. Ross told me. So this is my grand gesture to show you that I feel the same,” she said. Aaron could hear a slur to her words, and she was entirely too confident standing there. She’d been drinking, most likely.

“Bernice!” Diane said, having come to stand near them. “Come on, love,” she cajoled.

“No, no, no, mum!” Bernice said, her tone dismissive. She turned her attention back to Andy. “We don’t have to get married! But you can’t marry Katie. We both know that’s not what you want.” At this, Aaron huffed with some amusement as he squirmed in his seat and looked down, embarrassed for her. To either side of him, Adam, Finn, and Moira were trying not to laugh. 

“Have- have you two been carrying on?” Doug demanded from his spot next to Diane, his tone clearly disapproving.

“No, I’ve hardly seen her since she hid the ring!” Andy protested.

“You’re throwing yourself into this,” Bernice said as Doug came up behind her to grab her arm and drag her away. “And I know it’s not what you want, I can see it in your eyes!”

“And all we can see in yours is crazy!” Vic said, supporting her brother.

“I’m trying to save you!” Bernice shouted as Diane came to help Doug shuffle her out of the church.

“And I’m saving you from yourself!” Diane said.

“All I want for Christmas is you! Is you, Andy!” They finally got her out, leaving the guests to laugh and talk about the drunken scene they’d just witnessed. Aaron reflected that Bernice had given the perfect distraction for Robert, as no one took any notice of him and Chrissie showing up shortly after. He was very aware of the couple taking a seat behind him, but Aaron just kept facing forward.

After that show, the wedding ceremony seemed tame in comparison. Until the happy couple exchanged rings. There was clearly something wrong when Andy picked up Katie’s ring and failed to repeat the vows after Ashley. With further prompting, Andy belatedly started to speak, but Katie interrupted him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, leaning forward to capture his eyes with hers. When Andy didn’t answer, Aaron saw her take the ring from him and look at it closely. There was a moment of quiet as she examined it, and then she looked up and out at the guests, locking onto someone behind Aaron.

“What have you done?” Aaron heard Chrissie whisper. He didn’t need three guesses to figure out who Katie was looking at back there.

Aaron looked over his shoulder at them and saw Robert uneasily lean toward Chrissie. “It- it was ages ago, okay?” he muttered, sounding nervous. Adam had clearly overheard the whispers as well, because he was following Aaron’s example and peeking over his shoulder at Robert, who was directly behind him.

At the front of the church, Ashley tried to continue the ceremony, but Katie interrupted. “Sorry, Ashley, I’m going to have to stop you there. Village bike?” she demanded as she walked toward where Aaron was sitting, on her way to confront Robert. She leaned down to put herself at eye level with Robert, holding up the ring and brandishing it angrily. “My wedding ring says village bike inside. It was you wasn’t it?”

“Look, it was a stupid joke from before-” Robert rushed to say, keeping his voice quiet. Aaron watched his wide eyes, and the way he sat there squirming in front of the angry bride. It was clear as day that Robert was guilty. It was also clear to Aaron that he regretted what he’d done. He wouldn’t be so uncomfortable otherwise.

“Get out of my wedding. Now.”

“I forgot I’d even done it!” Robert said, eyes going from Katie to Andy, who had followed his bride. Beside Robert, Chrissie glared at him, embarrassed.

“But you did it!” Katie cried, still holding the ring up between them. “And it’s here, engraved on my wedding ring. You wanted to hurt us. Well done, congratulations, you’ve done it again! Now get out of my wedding, Robert!”

Aaron watched as Robert stared ahead for a moment. He looked crushed, as if something good had just been taken away from him. Aaron could only think that Robert had meant his apology earlier, and had been hoping to mend fences with Andy. All chances of that were ruined now. Andy was furious as he mocked his brother. “Dad would be proud now, wouldn’t he?”

Robert’s eyes rose momentarily, locking onto Aaron’s. He looked desperate, and beaten. Then Chrissie was nudging his shoulder with her hand as she rose to her feet, urging her fiance to get up. She looked like the picture of elegance as she stood there, suffering gracefully under the weight of sharing the embarrassment with Robert as his wife-to-be. “I am so sorry,” she said earnestly. The couple made their way out of the church quickly and quietly.

Vic had come up behind Andy. She had his ring in her hands as she asked, “What’s it say on yours?” Aaron thought she looked devastated as she read the inscription. “Village idiot.”

“Well, I guess I am… for thinking he was sorry,” Andy said.

*****

The bride and groom did finish the ceremony, but it had to be the unhappiest wedding Aaron had ever been to. Everyone was upset. Aaron didn’t care to stay long. He was making his escape when he opened the door to find Robert and Vic arguing. He had apparently come back to apologize. Aaron would have said it was the worst idea the older man had ever had, except that sadly wouldn’t be true.

He had frantically been trying to explain to Vic, but Aaron’s presence seemed to affect him because Robert quieted down as he looked at him. Victoria’s voice was thick with unshed tears as she said, “I missed you so much when you went away. Now I wish you’d never come back.”

Aaron saw the real pain in Robert’s face as he shifted his attention back to his younger sister. “Vic… don’t be like that.”

She wasn’t willing to listen. Victoria turned to look at Aaron, and as she walked past him to go back inside, she said, “Make sure he doesn’t get in.”

He walked with Robert outside, toward the parked Audi. “I don’t need the lecture, you can save your breath.”

Aaron moved aside his suit jacket so he could fit his hands into his pockets as he walked. “I wasn’t going to give you a lecture.” He saw Robert glance at him before looking away again. “You tried. I didn’t even think you’d do that.”

“No?” Robert asked as they came to stand next to his car.

“I thought I’d be the last person you’d listen to.”

“Yeah?” Robert said, turning to face him. “I listen to you.”

Aaron gave an exaggerated frown and used his whole body to shrug, trying to show he found that hard to believe. “Really?” he asked, flattered by that thought. He hadn’t thought Robert was capable of listening to anyone but himself. It was nice to find out he was wrong.

“Yeah, you make a lot of sense. I wish you’d been there when I rang that jeweler. I might not be stood out in the cold on my own.”

“Yeah, I’ve been there a few times myself,” Aaron said, nodding in sympathy. Robert raised his eyes to look at him again. Aaron felt his heartbeat kick up a notch as a new tension filled the air.

“Yeah, why’s that?”

Aaron took a deep breath, shrugging as he searched for words. “I don’t know. I didn’t really know who I was, I guess.”

“And, er, how did you turn it around?”

Aaron shrugged again, looking away briefly before he met Robert’s eyes again, feeling warm despite the cold. “People didn’t give up on me. And I chilled out. A bit.”

Robert was smiling at that, gently swaying his body from side to side as he stood there. Aaron realized Robert was mirroring him, both of them moving as if their bodies were naturally in sync. The movement was somehow intimate, creating a shared space between them. “I thought you were done with me.”

Aaron gave a playful frown, and said, “I can change my mind, can’t I?” Robert nodded, making a small sound in agreement as the disappointment from earlier eased away from his face. “So…” Aaron said, raising his eyebrows and glancing around before looking at Robert’s face again. He continued to rock side to side, feeling the momentum somehow bringing them closer together. “Are you going home?”

Robert moved with him, a smile quirking his lips. “No,” he answered, shaking his head once.

Aaron couldn’t get him back to his room fast enough.


	11. I was just slinging this one out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of smut and feels in this chapter.
> 
> I won't be able to post again until next weekend. Sorry! This week is crazy for me, and I don't think I'll have the time to write. But definitely check in on Saturday or Sunday if you're want to read Chapter 12.

25 December 2014

All he had room for in his thoughts as he followed Aaron to the Woolpack was trying to decide which was better- Aaron in his blue coveralls, or Aaron in his blue suit. There was no denying the rough charm the younger man wielded whenever he was dressed for work, bent over the bonnet of a car while he worked with his hands. But Aaron in a suit… Robert was impressed. The mechanic cleaned up well. And the way the jacket stretched across his shoulders made Robert want to tear it off of him. Or maybe take him while the younger man wore only the suit jacket, and nothing else.

They set a brisk pace to the Woolie. Robert would have run if it wouldn’t have drawn unwanted attention. He was impatient to be alone with Aaron, worried the temperamental man might change his mind. Only a few hours earlier he’d been brutal when he’d told Robert that he didn’t want any part of him or his investment. Aaron had been convinced that Robert was a lost cause with no redeemable qualities. It had sounded pretty final to Robert. He had no idea how the scene in the church had changed Aaron’s mind about him (really it made no sense), but he wanted to take advantage of this while he had the chance.

Aaron led him to the side entrance at the pub, the same door Robert had come through the night they had sex in Aaron’s bedroom. They rushed in, both taking a quick look around while he closed the door. Robert took the chance that everyone was still out celebrating Andy’s wedding, and reached out to grab hold of Aaron’s waist, pulling him close. The younger man was an assault to his senses. The taste of Aaron’s mouth on his; the feel of his beard tickling his chin; the press of his hands on Robert’s chest; the faintest smell of ale and engine oil that lingered just over the scent of clean skin… Robert was driven wild with it all.

The door to the parlor opening jolted both of them. They pulled apart, Aaron’s hands still wrapped up in Robert’s shirt and suit jacket. The younger man gave him a shove back as Katie appeared. Aaron glanced at her over his shoulder while Robert froze, wondering if she’d seen anything. “I was just slinging this one out,” Aaron said, voice tense. He was out of breath from kissing Robert, but it could just as well have been from fighting.

“Hey, it’s my family’s pub, I can come in whenever I want!” Robert said, playing along and trying to catch his breath.

Katie appeared to have fallen for the act. “Your family? Reckon you’re barred,” she told him.

“Look, I’ll pay to have the rings fixed. I- I want to make up for it. Whatever it takes,” he said, taking his chance to make things right. For the briefest time, it had looked like he’d finally made peace with Andy. He’d completely forgotten about getting drunk and calling the jewelers. It was only as he sat in the church and the rings were brought out that it suddenly all came back. He had been angry and bitter, but he would have rang the jewelers back to cancel the insulting inscriptions if he had only remembered. It seemed like the sort of thing that was impossible to forget, but that night he’d gotten blackout drunk- not even the faintest recollection had come to him when he woke up hungover. 

“Yeah, because throwing money at it is going to make it okay,” Katie said, unyielding. Robert saw Aaron shifting his weight as he stood beside her, looking uncomfortable. It was exactly the sort of thing the younger man had said to him before.

“At least let me see Andy!” Robert pressed, now worried that Katie would manage to turn Aaron against him again.

“See Andy now, and you’re going to wake up in hospital!” Robert foundered, unable to find a way to salvage the situation. Katie just rolled her eyes and turned to Aaron. “Just make sure he leaves, alright?”

It was almost exactly what Vic had told Aaron to do earlier. Everyone just wanted to shut him out. Frustrated, he watched as Katie went back into the parlor and slammed the door. “Aaron….”

“Shut up, she’ll hear us,” Aaron told him. Robert watched, amazed as the younger man went up the stairs, clearly expecting Robert to follow.

Tonight was different from the last time they had done this. After the bedroom door was locked, and they were alone without risk of anyone interrupting, they stood with feet of space between them. There was still daylight streaming in through the window, and without the darkness to hide in, this seemed more real somehow.

Robert watched Aaron warily. It was stupid, but Robert suddenly felt vulnerable. His family hated him right now, Chrissie was furious at him for embarrassing her, and Aaron had always been vocal in pointing out his every flaw. The younger man had accused him of being uncaring and thoughtless on many occasions, and the events of today could only have made Aaron feel disdain for him. Robert was fine knowing the other man’s interest in him was only physical. In fact, this affair could only work out if it remained purely physical, with no emotional investment. When they weren’t at odds, their connection had been instant and unstoppable. The problem now was that the heat from moments before had been doused by Katie. How was he supposed to connect with a man who hated everything about him except his body when the mood had been interrupted?

He watched as Aaron walked over to where he was standing in the middle of the room. Aaron’s hands were tucked in the pockets of his suit pants, making him look cool and unworried. Confident. Sexy. Robert automatically rested his hands on Aaron’s waist when the younger man pressed into his space. He was looking down into Aaron’s face from such a short distance, holding still as he laid a quick, gentle, teasing kiss on Robert’s mouth. He followed it with another brush of lips, and another, freeing his hands from his pockets so he could once again wrap his fingers in Robert’s suit jacket. Robert remained passive for a handful of seconds, fingers tightening on Aaron’s hips as he let him do as he pleased. Then he found his face following Aaron’s as the younger man pulled back from another short kiss, chasing that mouth so that he could linger over those bowed lips.

What had started out gently swiftly erupted, and both of them were grappling with their clothes as they kissed and inched their way toward the bed. Robert was down to just his briefs by the time his legs brushed the bed. Aaron was in boxer briefs and an undershirt, and Robert was dying to get him out of it. He tugged the younger man close, running his hands up Aaron’s back, under the shirt. The feel of his hot skin made Robert groan into their kiss, pulling back just enough so he could bite at that infuriatingly tempting lower lip. He hadn’t even known lips could be that provocative until he’d seen Aaron biting his whenever he was thinking something over.

Robert smoothed his hands down that strong back so he could grab the hem of the undershirt and pull it off. Aaron stopped him, grabbing his wrists and jerking them back until Robert’s hands met behind his own body. The gesture was fast and aggressive, but as he stared at Aaron, gasping, he felt a rush of heat all through his body. He was completely speechless, incredibly turned on as the younger man shoved him down onto the bed.

“Take them off,” Aaron growled, blue eyes dark as he watched him. Robert hurried to tug his briefs off. He’d never followed an order that fast in his life. “Lay down.” He moved back onto the bed, resting his weight on his elbows as he watched Aaron crawl onto the mattress and straddle him, bringing his face close. That maddening beard scratched softly against his skin as Aaron nibbled at his neck, then bit at his collarbone. Robert let his head fall back as the other man found his nipples, sucking on one and rolling the other between his fingers.

“Aaron!” he shouted as the younger man softly scraped his teeth along the sensitive nub.

“Sh, Katie will here ya!” Aaron hissed, raising up and kissing Robert to quiet him. The blond man almost didn’t care if that stupid cow showed up to bang on the door. He groaned into the sloppy kiss, wrapping one arm around Aaron’s shoulders while the other continued to prop him upright. Again he tried to clutch at Aaron’s undershirt, but the other man firmly grabbed his hand to stop him. He shoved at Robert’s chest until he lay flat on the bed.

Once he was completely horizontal, Aaron used his grip on Robert’s wrist to pin it against the mattress over Robert’s head. It was a clear signal that the older man should lay there as quietly as possible, and Robert did his best to stay still as Aaron let go of his arm. It wasn’t easy to do. Not when Aaron littered his chest with kisses, following the scattered pattern of moles and freckles that dotted Robert’s fair skin. It was next to impossible to stay still when the other man traveled downwards. He settled between Robert’s thighs, fingers tight on his hip bones, resting his chin low on Robert’s abdomen and rubbing his stubble back and forth across the sensitive skin there. Robert was fully erect now, and his cock rested against the side of Aaron’s face as the younger man moved his chin back and forth. The sight of Aaron looking up at him, rubbing back and forth like a cat marking him with his scent was nearly enough to do him in. But it was the feel of the scruff along Aaron’s cheek teasing along his cock that made him lose control. He knew he was making too much noise, crying out and moaning as he writhed against the sheets.

His eyes were squeezed shut, so he didn’t see it when Aaron turned his head so he could lick along Robert’s length. “Fuck!” Robert shouted, eyes flying open so he could stare at the other man. Aaron watched his face as he lowered his mouth down onto Robert’s cock, swallowing him. Strong hands stopped Robert’s hips from thrusting up into that hot, wet mouth. Aaron took his time lowering his mouth, fighting his gag reflex until his lips reached the base of Robert’s cock. Robert was a better than average size, and he was impressed that Aaron had managed. The feel of Aaron’s throat squeezing around him as the other man fought to hold him there nearly undid him. “Shit!” Robert groaned, eyes rolling up into his skull as Aaron deep throated him.

He wished it could last forever, but the other man had to breathe after all. Aaron eased off of him, leaving trails of saliva behind, and then his head started bobbing up and down as he gave Robert the best fucking blowjob he’d ever had. He was completely out of his mind with how good it felt, all thoughts of trying to keep still gone. His hips were bucking up, and Aaron was allowing him to fuck into his mouth. Only the feeling of getting close to coming brought him to his senses. He didn’t want to end the night in Aaron’s mouth. Not when they had the bed. Who knew how many chances they’d get to do this in a real bed while they sneaked around?

Robert reached down, pulling Aaron up and kissing him wildly, tasting himself in the other man’s mouth. Once again he tried tugging the undershirt off of Aaron, frantic to get his hands on the other man, but he pulled away. “You do what I say this time, Robert,” Aaron gasped, face flushed and skin glowing with a sheen of sweat.

“Alright,” he gasped, not sure how he was managing to get even more aroused. He hadn’t thought it was possible. His cock twitched as Aaron knelt over him, straddling him as he grabbed his hand. He placed it over his own cock, still trapped behind his boxer briefs. Moaning, Robert stroked him through the cloth, desperate to free that hard length. He’d never been so obsessed with another man’s dick before, but Aaron could have modeled his in magazines it was so perfect. And the taste of him down there was intoxicating, somewhat salty and fresh. Robert eased his hand inside Aaron’s boxer briefs, wanting to feel him against his fingers.

Aaron lowered the black fabric down his thighs, then gently pulled away from Robert’s eager hand to sit down on the mattress so he could pull his briefs down past his ankles. Robert desperately wanted to explore Aaron’s body, but the younger man moved away so he could reach into the drawer of his bedside table for a condom and lube. When he drew close again, he settled back down between Robert’s legs. He nudged them further apart, and Robert obliged by grabbing hold of his own legs and pulling them up out of the way. He whimpered as Aaron briefly sucked on his balls, and then he was slathering lube on his fingers and rubbing it around Robert’s hole.

He watched the dark haired man sitting there on the bed with him as Aaron’s attention focused on his arse. The man was gorgeous, even with his undershirt still on while the rest of him was naked. Aaron was sweat slicked and looked so bangable, but letting Robert fuck him was clearly not what he had planned for the evening. The older man was suddenly nervous as Aaron lowered himself onto the mattress and pressed his mouth against his oiled hole, licking and sucking the puckered skin there.

He’d had women rim him, but having Aaron do this took on a whole different meaning. Did Aaron mean to…? Robert had never had a man top him, and he’d never been interested in giving it a try. But those lips and that tongue felt so good, and then Robert’s worried thoughts came to a standstill as Aaron pushed his tongue inside him. Robert cried out, his entire body jerking. “Yes, yes, yes, fuck yes!” he shouted, unable to stop himself. He found himself begging Aaron. The younger man was a fucking sex god. He could ask Robert to do anything right now, and he’d do it if Aaron promised not to stop.

Robert was so blissed out that it took a moment for him to notice Aaron had moved away. The next thing he knew, Aaron was pressing a lubed finger inside of him. Robert was about to try and pull away from the invasion, but Aaron’s finger quickly found a spot inside him. He rubbed his finger over that spot, and instead of pulling away, Robert was trying to get closer. Aaron was watching him, blue eyes so intense on Robert’s face that he closed his eyes, trying to escape it. The younger man had other plans. Still brushing his finger against that sweet spot, Aaron moved up Robert’s body and wrapped his other hand in his blond hair. His grip was tight, and it forced Robert’s eyes open.

“I want to make sure I have your attention,” Aaron murmured, working in a second finger. Robert tried to look away as those fingers drove him crazy, relentlessly working him open, but Aaron gave his hair a warning tug. Robert looked back up into his face. He wrapped his arms around Aaron and brought him down so he could kiss him. He had forgotten where Aaron’s lips had just been, but under his own musky taste was that flavor that was uniquely Aaron. Robert drank him in and tried for the fourth time to take that undershirt off.

Aaron stopped him once more, again lifting one of Robert’s hands over his head and pinning it there. It was then that Robert realized what the younger man was doing. He was hiding his scars.

There was no time to protest, or to reassure Aaron. The younger man was clearly satisfied with the amount of prep he’d done. He pulled his fingers out of Robert, leaving him feeling empty as Aaron quickly put on the condom. Then Aaron was on him, his hands encouraging Robert to lift his legs higher and place them over Aaron’s shoulders. The younger man was pushing in, gently and slowly.

It was uncomfortable. It wasn’t exactly painful- Aaron had stretched him out enough. It was just that Robert had only ever experienced things traveling out of his rectum, not into it. Aaron was patient. He leaned over Robert, pressing soft kisses to his mouth as he took his time pushing in. “Tell me if it hurts,” Aaron whispered, voice strained as he struggled to go slow. Robert nodded, his breathing harsh. When Aaron had finally thrust all the way in, he groaned, and Robert dragged him down for a kiss after the younger man said, “You feel so good.”

It took a couple of minutes for Robert to get used to the feeling of Aaron sliding in and out of him. It was disconcerting at first, and he almost wanted to tell the other man to stop. Then Aaron paused and adjusted their positions. He rose up on his knees, placing his hands on the backs of Robert’s thighs so that his legs were tight against his chest. When he started moving again, his cock brushed that spot just right. Robert gasped, his whole body jolting like he’d been struck by lightning. Now that Aaron had found that spot, he stuck to it, letting his pace quicken. “Uhng, yes, Aaron, mmm!” he cried, hands scrabbling to hold onto something, brushing the pillows off the bed as he writhed.

It felt better than he could ever have imagined. It felt better than when Aaron had fingered him. Robert was out of his mind with it. Aaron shifted position again, using his chest instead of his hands to press Robert’s legs against his torso. It brought his face closer, close enough that Robert was able to lift one hand to drag his fingers through that short dark hair, wishing it was a bit longer so he could really grab hold of it. “Fuck, Robert,” Aaron moaned. He saw the younger man’s eyes flutter shut as he struggled to maintain his pace.

Knowing that it was him doing this to Aaron, pushing him to his limits, was exhilarating. Robert felt himself let go in way he’d never done before. It was like a switch was flipped inside. One moment he was still thinking, still holding onto regret about Andy’s wedding, Aaron’s scars, Victoria’s tears. And then he gave up all control, focusing on nothing except the feel of Aaron inside him. He came so hard he blacked out for a moment, slowly coming back to himself while his body twitched in pleasure and his eyelids fluttered as Aaron pounded it out on top of him. Robert’s legs had slid to either of them, and Aaron was using the new space between their bodies to wrap his hand around Robert, deliciously milking his cock. The younger man slammed home once more, stroking against Robert’s prostate one last time, yelling wordlessly as he came. 

Robert just laid there, completely limp and unable to move even to save himself. For the first time since he was just a boy, he felt completely relaxed and at peace. He was so blissed out he was sure Chrissie could barge in right then and he wouldn’t be able to move or bring himself to care. Aaron was cuddled in against his side. Robert turned his face toward the younger man, and he pressed his lips against Aaron’s damp forehead and just laid there like that while he caught his breath.

“Can we do that again?” Robert finally asked a couple minutes later, mumbling against Aaron’s forehead. The younger man raised his face so he could look at Robert. He lifted his dark brows, trying to look surprised but only managing to look self-satisfied.

“Liked that, did you?”

“It was alright,” Robert said, trying to hold back a grin as he looked at the younger man. Aaron was perfect as he laid in bed, body pressed against Robert’s side. Those blue eyes were looking right back at him, scanning Robert’s face.

“Right, and that’s why you’re still lying here unable to move?”

“I can move.”

“Yeah? Prove it,” Aaron whispered, voice provocative. Robert rolled over on top of him, one hand raising to grip his chin and hold him still for a deep kiss. He felt his cock give a halfhearted stir, not quite ready to jump back into action. Aaron drew back, laughing. The smile made him look younger than ever, and Robert found himself smiling back like an idiot. “I might be a bit impressed,” Aaron joked, one hand running down Robert’s side, then trailing his fingers under his belly button. “Think you have another one left in you for tonight.”

“Course I do,” Robert scoffed. “I promise you, Aaron, you’re going to have trouble keeping up.”

“You think so? Guess I’ll have to prove myself to you, then.” Robert’s cock stirred again, liking the sound of that. It made Aaron laugh once more before he brought both hands up to Robert’s face and dragged him down for a kiss.

Robert sank into that kiss, unable to get enough of him.

 

26 December 2014

He wasn’t expecting to hear back from Aaron the very next day, but Robert couldn’t help feeling pleased with himself when he got the text from the younger man. He responded, asking Aaron to meet him at an old barn that wasn’t currently in use. It was the only place he could think of that was nearby where no one would accidentally stumble onto them.

Robert thought about making some excuse to Chrissie, but in the end he slipped out without saying a word. He’d meet her at the pub later, as planned. There was absolutely no reason she had to know where he was every second of the day. He was beginning to realize that maybe he’d made a mistake in his chosen approach to winning her over when he had decided to completely devote himself to her needs. Wasn’t there some saying about setting the bar low, so that she’d always be impressed when he went above and beyond? Chrissie was far too used to running his life and dictating where they would go, when they would go, and who they would go with.

He was still riding the high from yesterday. With little care to what she’d think, Robert drove away from Home Farm to meet Aaron. He still could hardly believe the things they’d done yesterday. His body was pleasantly sore, and he realized it had been some time since he’d felt this well fucked. Robert had always been more than happy with how things were in bed with Chrissie, but he had to admit that besides a bit of spontaneity when it came to location, they did very little to change it up. He’d have to do something about that after they got married. For now, he had Aaron to provide the excitement.

When he entered the barn, he found the dark haired man standing amidst the hay, dressed head to toe in his customary black. “Interesting choice of venue,” Aaron said, tucking his cell phone in his pocket. “Do all your business meetings here, do you?”

“Well, it depends on the business,” Robert answered, smirking. Aaron gave a small laugh, looking down to cover it. Encouraged, Robert stepped forward, but Aaron stopped him with a hand on his chest. He gently pushed Robert back a step. Disappointed, but not surprised that something had caused Aaron to pull back, Robert asked, “What have I done now?” Maybe if he could clear the air, they could still have some fun before he had to meet Chrissie.

“You rang Adam,” Aaron said. That hardly explained anything.

“Yeah,” Robert said, wondering why this was a bad thing. “To call off the offer, like you said.”

Aaron pressed his lips together and gave a shrug. “Change of plan.”

“You’ve changed your mind?” he asked, regarding Aaron with raised eyebrows. He was a more than a bit surprised, after the conversation they’d had in Aaron’s car the other day.

“I’ve changed my opinion,” Aaron said with emphasis on the last word. “There’s a difference.”

Robert tipped his head back for a moment, taking that in. Somehow, he’d managed to change Aaron’s opinion of him. He’d like to think it was because he was excellent and tireless in bed, but that wasn’t the sort of thing that would sway the younger man. “So….”

“So, are you still up for it?”

“Are we still talking about the investment?” Robert asked cheekily, barely able to hold back a grin. Aaron rolled his eyes, turning his face away from Robert briefly as if exasperated. Robert wanted to kiss him. He had actually been worried when Aaron had pushed him away. It was a pleasant surprise to realize that everything was falling into place.

“Yes or no?” Aaron demanded, the tiniest smile tugging at his lips.

“Yes! I always was. It was you who had the problem.”

“Fine. Only you’re not the boss, and you butt out of how we do things, yeah?”

“Fine,” Robert agreed, smiling as he reassured the younger man. “It was only so I could meet you legitimately, without anyone getting suspicious.”

Aaron gave another half laugh, looked down at his shoes for a moment before raising his eyes to look at Robert again. “So, what excuse have you given her this time?”

“I didn’t,” he said, pleased with himself.

“What, on Boxing Day?” Aaron asked, eyebrows quirked as he regarded Robert with some skepticism. “You’re not in the dog house enough?”

“I’d stop talking now,” Robert murmured as he stepped in close to Aaron, his eyes drifting down to Aaron’s lips for a moment. “If you still want my investment.” He smirked as he caught the blatant interest on Aaron’s face. Robert leaned down the short distance between them, pressing his lips to Aaron’s as he worked his hands free of his pockets and grabbed hold of the other man’s waist.

Their romp in the hay was nothing like the leisurely bouts of hot sex they’d had in Aaron’s bed, and more like their first time, when they had come together quickly and passionately in the back seat of a car. There was more space in the barn than in a car, but it was drafty, and hay had a tendency of poking a bloke in unfortunate places if he wasn’t careful. Both of them kept most of their clothes on, which Robert was a bit sad about, but given the chilly weather it was probably for the best. Besides, it gave him the chance to suck Aaron off until the younger man came in his mouth. He’d been wanting to do that since the first time he’d given Aaron a blowjob. Getting to watch the young mechanic fall apart from just the touch of Robert’s mouth on him filled him with a primal sense of satisfaction. He also found it satisfying when Aaron returned the favor.

They left separately, and Robert gave the other man a head start into the village. Aaron was already seated at the bar, talking to Chas, when Robert came in to meet Chrissie. She was slumped over her glass of wine, looking absolutely cheerless. “Decided to show up at last? Dad’s gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Robert said, even though he wasn’t. He rubbed Chrissie’s back briefly, apologetically. He took a deep breath, and then tried to push forward and get past her mood. “So, what have I missed?”

“He’s selling Andy and Katie the farm,” Chrissie told him, turning away from her glass of wine long enough to look at him and try to gauge his reaction.

Robert frowned at that. “It’s a dump! Still, it’ll turn around, I suppose.”

“Well, after what you did yesterday, it’s the least we could do,” Chrissie said, facing the bar once again.

“Ugh! Can we just drop this now?” Robert asked, fed up. He did feel bad about the rings, but he didn’t need every single person he ran into berating him for it. He might expect that from others, but she was his fiancee. Shouldn't she be showing some kind of solidarity while everyone else was treating him like a leper? “I’ve apologized. They’re happy. We’re happy. Nothing to see here,” he told her. He glanced up at that moment and caught Aaron’s eyes. Well, maybe there was something to see after all, but it had nothing to do with Andy and Katie. Robert smirked, pleased when Aaron nodded at him once before turning his attention back to his pint. Sighing, Robert returned to trying to cheer Chrissie up. It was an uphill battle.

 

31 December 2014

A New Year's Eve party is what it took to lift Chrissie’s spirits. She threw herself into the planning while Robert pretended interest. Chrissie was going over last minute plans with him and Lawrence in the cafe. They were her captive audience. He was relieved when she was finally ready to go, but that was the exact moment Aaron walked in.

“Er, another Americano please, Bob!” Robert rushed to say to as the man walked past him.

“What are you doing?” Chrissie asked. “I thought you were picking up the outdoor lights?”

“Yeah, I am. In ten minutes!” he said, a bit more defensively than he intended.

“Alright, well don’t be late,” she cautioned him as Lawrence followed her out. Robert tried to relax into his armchair, but he suddenly felt wound up tight. It had been five days since he’d last seen Aaron, and he was more than ready to meet him again. Chrissie was still upset over the whole ring thing, and now that she was focused on the party, she’d hardly paused long enough to give Robert a kiss here or a hug there, let alone anything more satisfying. He felt ready to crawl out of his own skin, he was that horny.

Robert heard creaking leather from behind him, signaling that Aaron had taken a seat in one of the armchairs. “She has you on a tight leash today, then?” Aaron asked, his voice startlingly close. The hairs raised along his body, and Robert had to suppress a shiver in reaction.

“Yeah, she’s stressed. She’s put a lot into tonight. Banking on a lot of new clients arriving.”

“So do I not get an invite, seeing as we’re in business together?” Aaron asked teasingly. Robert said something dismissive about the party, but he’d rather the younger man didn’t joke about things like that. He didn’t like the thought of being in the same room with the two of them while liquor poured freely. Robert welcomed the distraction Bob provided when he came back with the Americano.

“I’ll tell you what, though,” Robert said after he set his mug down on the coffee table positioned in front of his armchair. “I’m definitely up for meeting later. Something to make the night a bit more bearable.” Robert smiled at the silence coming from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at Aaron, and saw the other man nod once.

It was on.

Robert went to run some errands, getting it all done as quickly as he could. He’d just arrived back at Home Farm and took a seat at his desk while Nicola asked Lawrence for the night off. She was claiming illness, but it was a flimsy excuse for wanting New Year’s Eve off. Lawrence dismissed her, then turned his attention to Robert.

“Now, you’d better find yourself some decent clothes and get your outfit cleared with The Boss.”

“Yeah, er, about that,” Robert said, getting back to his feet and approaching Lawrence. It was his turn to pull a Nicola and ask for the night off! “I was thinking of maybe joining you a bit later. I’ve got a text from some old mates. They’re having a get together, and, well, I promised I’d show up for one.”

“You do know how much Chrissie has put into this, don’t you? She’ll kill you! And anyway, I want you there, meeting and greeting! I mean, if you want to be the face of this business, then you better, well, you know! Show it!” Lawrence told him, clearly surprised at Robert. He nodded, trying to hide his disappointment.

Robert made his way to the parlor and closed himself in. He sighed, rubbing his face as he collapsed onto the sofa. Really, what was he thinking? This entire week, from the moment Aaron had lead him to the Woolpack, Robert had been acting like an idiot. He’d spent hours with Aaron that night, getting back to Chrissie late at night, completely high on sex. Then he had skipped out on her on Boxing Day. When he had finally met her at the pub, he’d been mostly irritated with her and had paid more attention to the young mechanic having a quiet pint than he had to his own fiancee.

He knew it was the newness of it that was making him act daft, but he had to get his priorities straight. Lawrence was right. He was going to be the face of the company, once he and Chrissie were married. Robert should have been researching the clients who were going to be there, so that he could mingle and do some networking.

Grabbing his phone from his pocket, Robert stared at the screen for a few minutes. He wanted to ask Aaron to meet him right now for a quickie. What he needed to do was track down a guest list to see who would be there tonight. Irritated at himself, Robert kept it simple. “Can’t get away. Some other time, yeah?”

He regretted his choice of words as soon as he hit send. There was no going back, but he imagined that Aaron wasn’t going to be pleased with that brush off.

Robert was really hoping Aaron didn’t hold the text or the change in plans against him, because he was going to need to blow off some steam after that party. He was dressed to the nines in an uncomfortable tux, and he’d never been around such a boring group of people in his life. It was just after 11:00 when Robert drifted away from the crowd for a moment. Lawrence followed him, and his words were exactly what Robert had been thinking all night. “If I’d known they were going to be this boring, I’d have shot myself in the foot or something!”

Chrissie walked in after Lawrence, and it was just the three of them standing in the dining room. “Fifty minutes before the fireworks!” she announced. “We better start steering them outside.”

“Oh no! It’ll be like herding… cats!” Lawrence said stupidly. “They’ve got so much free booze inside them.”

“At least they’re enjoying themselves,” Chrissie said as her dad left the dining room. She stepped close to Robert, where he stood just staring down on the gleaming surface of the table. “Unlike you,” she said, voice soft.

Robert turned toward her, surprised at the attention. “I’m fine.”

“You seem a bit quiet. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Robert lied. “I’d just rather spend New Year’s Eve with you.”

“You’re sweet,” she smiled, cradling his face in her hands. He thought for a moment she’d kiss him, but her mind was still clearly on the party. “Come on, let’s get them moving and see if we can get them all home, shall we?” She stepped away, going back in to mingle with them. Robert sighed. Maybe he’d been acting foolishly around Aaron, but there was no denying which was a better way of spending New Year’s Eve. He’d much rather be naked and sweaty right now. But then, that was pretty much true for him every night.


	12. Was it worth waiting for, or what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate it. For everyone else, I hope you're enjoying the candy sales! I surely will be.
> 
> In Robert's words, was this chapter worth waiting for, or what? Well, that's not a direct quote, but anyway- I'll try and post Chapter 13 by Thursday. Enjoy! As always, feel free to leave comments.

31 December 2014

“Can’t get away. Some other time, yeah?”

What the hell kind of text was that? Aaron stared at his phone, annoyed. It’s not like he was dating the man, but it still seemed a bit dismissive. An explanation would have been nice. Or maybe Robert didn’t owe him an explanation, but would it have killed him to apologize for canceling?

Aaron had never been another man’s bit on the side before, but he was going to take a wild guess and say that common courtesy was still applicable in this case. So yeah, an apology for having to cancel would have been nice.

“You alright?” Adam asked. They were sitting together at a table, sharing one last drink at the Woolpack before Adam had to call it a night or risk missing his curfew.

“Yeah. Wasn’t important anyway,” he told Adam as he tucked his phone into his pocket. “Looks like I’m stopping here after all.”

“Ah, look, I’m sorry mate!”

Aaron hesitated, his glass halfway to his mouth. “It wasn’t much of a plan,” he said. He raised the glass to his lips and took a long drink, trying to hide how bothered he was. Like any true mate would, Adam did his best to cheer Aaron up. It was working too, but Adam couldn’t stay for long. Aaron found himself sitting alone at the bar, trying to get a buzz going that would make him feel a bit less pathetic.

“You could have told me yourself,” Chas said from behind the bar. Her comment came out of the blue, but with his thoughts already on Robert, it didn’t take Aaron more than a second to realize she’d found out about Robert’s investment into the taxi firm. It had only been a matter of time, and he was actually surprised it had taken this long for her to catch wind of the deal.

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters! He’s dead dodgy, Aaron! All charm, but everyone who hangs around him eventually gets hurt.” Maybe it was all the alcohol he’d consumed, but Aaron suddenly felt unsure. Robert did tend to leave a mess behind him, even when he seemed to have good intentions. Aaron had to remind himself of the heartfelt apology Robert had given to Andy before the wedding, and his gutted expression when he had apparently forgotten about his prank with the rings until it was too late. That had all been real, and Aaron would like to think he had a bit more insight into Robert’s true character than did Chas.

“I wouldn’t want to be in Chrissie’s shoes, let’s put it that way,” Chas said.

That struck a nerve, considering the way he and Robert were sneaking around behind her back. But of course, Chas didn’t know about what Robert was getting up to these days. She had to be talking about his past, and how he’d cheated on Katie, who was her best mate. “You’re talking about years ago! You going to judge me for what I was like back then as well?”

“Eh, you weren’t that bad!” Chas protested. Aaron just gave her a look. “Y-yeah, you were, but, well… Look, I just don’t like you getting mixed up with people like him. You’re better than that!”

She was looking at him so earnestly it was painful. How could she have such faith in him after he proved her wrong again and again?

His mum misinterpreted his guilty look, mistaking it for irritation or anger. “I’m sorry, love! Look, I…. I know you think I’m mithering, but….” Chas trailed off, then took a cleansing breath and tried to look cheerful. “Anyway, I’ll tell you something!” she said, raising her glass in a toast. The bendy straw sticking out of her glass of ale brought a smile to his face. It was just such a Chas thing to do. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be spending New Year’s Eve with.”

Aaron raised his glass to that and tapped it to hers. They were both full of shit, but at least there was solidarity in being single together. Being at the pub with Chas was better than sitting by himself wishing there was someone there beside him. He tipped his head back as he finished his ale.

Just a short while later, as he sat there listening to Chas yell out the countdown, a disturbing thought occurred to him. Since when had it bothered him to be single?

“Eight! Seven! Six!”

Aaron sat there, shocked at his own change of heart. Since he’d broken it off with Ed a year ago, he hadn’t gotten serious about anyone.

“Five! Four!”

It had just been one night stands as the need struck him. And he had been happy with that, until now.

“Three! Two!”

He wanted to be in a relationship again. He finally felt ready. Aaron would be well pleased if Robert told him he was leaving Chrissie.

“One!”

He wanted give the whole relationship thing a try again. With Robert.

“Happy New Year!”

Aaron sat amid the cheers and the shouting, horrified.

 

1 January 2015

Robert was the last person he wanted to see while he enjoyed his New Year hangover at the cafe. Aaron glanced at the tall blond, feeling miserable, tired, and very confused. Robert strolled over to where he was sitting on a leather loveseat. As the older man sat down, he said, “Sorry about last night.”

Aaron stood abruptly, feeling out of place in his own skin. “It’s fine. It’s no big deal,” he rushed to say, avoiding Robert’s gaze by looking down as he started lining up the zipper of his jacket. He took a few steps toward the door, eager to get some distance between them. He needed more time to think. He needed to not be hungover while trying to juggle his growing interest in the other man.

“I might be free later.”

Aaron turned toward him, unsure of himself. He finished pulling up the zipper on his black jacket as he tried to think of what to say to Robert. In the face of his uncertainty, he turned defensive. “What’s that to me?”

“I’m trying to make it up to you!”

The blond man said it so artlessly that it rang true. The real question was why? Why was Robert here? Why was he trying to make up with Aaron? The older man had never tried to hide the fact that money and prestige meant a great deal to him. Aaron could offer him none of that. So why was he risking his future with a rich wife, a big house, and fancy cars? None of it made sense.

What made even less sense to him was his own reaction to Robert. The sex was amazing, but the man was a manipulative control freak. What was it about him that made Aaron give him a second look? It was more than simple attraction. There was something else about Robert… He could be a nasty piece of work sometimes, but unless Aaron had missed the mark entirely, a lot of that came from a place of hurt. If anyone understood the tendency to lash out when personal issues became painful, it was him. Under the cocky grin and the sharp tongue, Robert was actually a decent bloke.

But that didn’t change the fact that it would be better for Aaron to cut ties now, before he really started to develop feelings for the older man. Nothing could be stupider than sticking around and falling in love with him.

“Hey,” Robert said, his eyes shifting away from Aaron for a split second as he checked if anyone was near enough to overhear. “The barn, one o’clock.”

“Yeah, I’ll see.” Aaron walked out before Robert could say anything else. That gave him a little over an hour to try and get his head sorted. He hoped it’d be enough.

*****

It was like his mum knew he was up to something he shouldn’t be. She was carrying on about New Year's resolutions, of all things! It took him forever to get away from her. He couldn’t think of a good lie to tell her that would make her stop talking and let him go. It didn’t help that she kept saying they needed to be more honest with each other, and that for their resolution, they should promise to be more open with each other. Aaron ended up feeling guilty and upset.

He had just escaped her when Robert rang him. “Yeah, I know, I’m running late,” he answered the phone.

“Yeah, er… I’m sorry, mate. I’m- I’m babysitting Lachlan.”

“You what- you’re not bailing on me again!” Aaron snarled, his bad mood getting worse.

“Well you’re the one who left on his own!” Robert said, clearly unhappy that Aaron had walked out on him in the cafe an hour ago.

“Fine, you know what, forget it.”

“Wait!” Robert protested, sounding surprised.

“No, I’m not being messed around two days in a row. Sort it out!”

“W- h-how?”

“If you’re not at the barn in half an hour, we’re done!” Aaron told him, and hung up without giving Robert a chance to say anything further. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he was tired of never knowing where he stood with Robert.

The other man had never said anything that would make Aaron think he was serious about him, but it had to be serious if he was willing to risk everything. Right? How could a man as ambitious as Robert gamble his future on an affair with a man if he didn’t have some strong urges or feelings pushing him to do it? Surely the thrill of having an affair wasn’t enough?

When Aaron got to the barn, he found a few additions to their spot. At some point Robert must have come here to set up. There was a blanket laid out over the hay, with another folded on top of it. Aaron spotted a bottle of lube and a couple of condoms tucked under one of the corners of the spread blanket. He wondered when Robert had set this up for them. This morning? After the last time they met here?

He chose to sit on a nearby bale of hay while he waited for Robert, thinking it might be a bit overdone to undress and lay down on the blankets. Besides, he wasn’t going to freeze while he twiddled his thumbs. He had serious doubts that the older man would come. He was almost certain that his ambition would win out. Really, Aaron was counting on it. If Robert didn’t show, then it gave Aaron an easy out. If he was actually ready to get serious with a bloke again, shouldn’t it be with a man who’d actually want to get serious as well? A man who wouldn’t be ashamed to be seen with Aaron? Didn’t he deserve finding someone who was willing to take him home, so they could do it in a bed whenever they wanted instead of always having to meet up in cold, rat-infested barns?

He really didn’t know how to feel about it when the barn door opened, and Robert walked in. Aaron kept his eyes averted from the handsome man, thinking it might be easier to walk away from this stupid affair if he wasn’t eyeballing the tall blond. “I see you haven’t decorated.” A few blankets did nothing to make the barn more hospitable.

“Well, we could always book a hotel room if you prefer.”

Aaron couldn’t help but look at him then, taking in the sight. He liked Robert’s height, and the way his shoulders filled out his suit jacket. “I never said that.” It wasn’t so much that Aaron was against rolling in the hay, after all. He just wanted the option of taking Robert to bed, if they were in the mood for taking it slowly.

“Well then stop finding fault with everything I say,” Robert told him.

“At least you showed up this time, eh?”

“Oh, come on, Aaron, I’m trying to make an effort here.”

“Trying.” He said it because he was being defensive, again, and couldn’t help himself. The startling thing was that he knew Robert was right. The older man was actually trying to make an effort.

“Look, this thing- taking offense at everything I say! It’s getting old. I’m not forcing you to be here.”

Aaron thought about that, looking off to the side for a moment as he considered that. “So then… do you want me to leave?”

“See, there you go again!” Robert pointed out. It actually made Aaron give a little huff of laughter. He was acting like a right muppet.

Seeing Aaron’s amusement, Robert’s demeanor lightened. He was suddenly all smiles, clearly certain he was forgiven. Aaron rose to his feet, amused at how easily pleased Robert was. “I’ve missed this,” Robert said.

“Have ya?” Aaron asked, stepping closer. The satisfaction he felt at Robert’s words came from a place of jealousy. It wasn’t easy knowing the man he was interested in would never consider a relationship with him.

“Yeah,” Robert said, take a step back so he could eye Aaron head to toe. “Why else would I be here?” They drew close, near enough that Aaron could feel the warmth of Robert’s breath on his face.

The moment was interrupted by Robert’s phone chirping as he got a text.

Aaron drew back, rolling his eyes. Did the man never turn that thing off? “Are you joking me?” he said, certain it was Chrissie and Robert was about to leave him high and dry.

“It’s alright,” Robert soothed, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll turn it off.” But not before he responded to the text, Aaron noted. He threw his head back and blew out an irritated breath as Robert bent over his phone. He was as bad as a teenage girl with that thing! But at least Robert kept it short, and he turned it off as promised. “See?” he asked, reaching out and pulling Aaron close with his hands on his waist. “It’s just you and me.”

Aaron smiled as Robert drew him in for a kiss.

By now he was familiar with the way Robert never hesitated to throw off all his clothes. It had been that way from the very first time in the garage. As he kicked off his own shoes and tugged off his pants, Aaron watched Robert rip at his own clothes, eager to tear them away. The other man was glorious in his nudity. He was all long legs and broad shoulders, and his cock at the ready was long and thick. Robert was struggling with his button down shirt, getting through only half the buttons before he got frustrated and lifted it up over his head. While Robert was distracted and his head was covered by the shirt, Aaron came up to him and took him in hand. The blond man gasped as he finally pulled the shirt over his head, and he dropped it off to the side with little regard so he could latch onto Aaron’s waist.

Their lips crashed together as Aaron stroked him. They finally drew apart for air, panting as they looked at each other. “Um, trying to set a… a new- er, a new fashion trend?” Robert gasped, his hips moving against Aaron as he jerked him off. Aaron stared at him, confused until Robert’s fingers wrapped around him and the older man ran his thumb over the tip of his cock. He realized then that Robert had distracted him from undressing, so his top half was still fully clothed while he was naked from the waist down.

“Got a bit distracted, didn’t I?” Aaron said, thrusting against Robert’s hand.

“Let’s do something about that.” Robert left off touching him in favor of unzipping Aaron’s jacket. Aaron had to pull his hand away from Robert as the jacket came down off his arms, but he relished in the disappointed sound the older man made. “Just how many layers do you have on, anyway?” Robert demanded as the jacket fell away to reveal a hoodie over a shirt.

“I don’t have to take it all off, do I?” Aaron protested as Robert reached up to unzip his hoodie. “You may not be feeling the cold, but I am!” He loved Robert’s disappointed look as he eyed Aaron’s chest longingly while he pulled the hoodie off of him.

“Keep the shirt then, but the hoodie goes. Now come here,” Robert told him, grabbing him around the waist and jerking him close. Aaron gasped as their hips pressed together, and he closed his eyes as his cock rubbed along Robert’s. The blond lowered his hands until he could grip Aaron’s backside, and he let out a moan as he turned Aaron around so he could slide his cock along Aaron’s crack. He squeezed his eyes shut as the taller man thrust against him and buried his face against Aaron’s neck, biting and sucking at the skin there.

The older man pushed Aaron down onto his hands and knees on the blankets he had laid out. Seeing where this was going, Aaron reached out for the bottle of lube and passed it back to Robert. “Fuck, Robert!” he protested when the other man squirted it directly onto him, not bothering to warm it up first.

“Yeah, that’s the idea,” Robert told him, unapologetic. Aaron rolled his eyes, but of course the man positioned behind him didn’t see it. His annoyance was short lived as Robert pressed a lubed finger into him. Aaron moaned, letting his head hang down as he knelt there on all fours. “You like that?” Robert breathed, fingering him and reaching around with the other hand to wrap his fingers gently around Aaron’s length.

“Um,” Aaron answered, relaxing into it.

“Was that a yes?” Robert asked, smile clear in his tone. He laid a kiss at the base of Aaron’s spine, where the black shirt ended and bare skin began.

“Fuck off,” Aaron huffed, squeezing his eyes shut as Robert’s finger plunged into him.

“That wasn’t very nice,” Robert laughed, laying another kiss on him, this time on his left cheek. “I’m going to start thinking you’re not enjoying it.”

“Maybe then you’ll put some real effort into it, yeah?” Aaron taunted him. In response, Robert added a second finger, and Aaron gasped, hips moving back to press into Robert.

“Like that?” Robert asked, quickening the pace of his other hand on Aaron’s cock. Well one thing was clear- Robert could add multitasking to his resume of skills. Aaron was rendered speechless, letting all his worries melt away so he could just enjoy the moment. When he was finally ready, Robert took just a handful of seconds to put on a condom, and then he was pushing his way into Aaron.

The pace he set was merciless. He hammered into Aaron, hips working tirelessly to push them both over the edge. Aaron’s own hand had replaced Robert’s on his cock so that the other man could grip Aaron’s hips and hold him in place while he pounded into him. It was almost too much, but with a few more strokes of his hand, Aaron brought himself, and he was shouting out as Robert finished.

They dropped down onto the covers, gasping for breath in the aftermath. It was five minutes at least before they could move. Aaron turned over onto his back, and Robert crawled up next to him. The sweat he’d worked up was cooling on Aaron’s skin, so he reached down for the other blanket that had been kicked away at some point and pulled it up so it covered them both.

“So, was it worth waiting for or what?” Robert demanded, sounding thoroughly pleased with himself. He looked conceited as hell, sprawled next to Aaron on his back, with one arm raised so he could rest his head on his arm. He had to stare up at the ceiling of the barn so he wouldn’t be caught staring at the blond’s perfect chest and his taut nipples.

“Pfff!” Aaron was more amused than annoyed by Robert’s arrogance, but he figured the comment warranted at least a token sign that he found the other man’s cockiness unbelievable.

“Oh, go on admit it, you’re impressed!”

“I could be anyone, couldn’t I?” Aaron asked. He wasn’t upset by the thought, but it had occurred to him after the heat of the moment that maybe when Robert said he missed this, he didn't mean he missed Aaron so much as he missed sex with a man, or the thrill of sneaking around- or even sex in a barn, for fuck's sake. He could mean anything.

“Why do you say that?”

“I bet you’ve done this a few times.” He found himself wondering how many blokes Robert had done that with.

Robert took a deep breath and rearranged himself somewhat uncomfortably. “Yeah, well, the others were just one night stands.”

Aaron gave a brief frown as he took that in. Should he be flattered that he was the first man Robert had chosen to bed more than once? He let it go for the moment, and pursed his lips as the silence between them got a bit awkward. “So what happens next?”

“What do you mean?” Robert asked, glancing over at him. Aaron realized he sounded like he was fishing for some kind of commitment from the other man.

“Well,” Aaron said, trying to lighten the mood, “I’m going to get an air rifle because there’s quite a few rats in this place. And a mattress would be good.”

“Er, hang on, let’s not start decorating!” Robert said, not sounding amused. “I’m going to be getting married soon.”

Aaron gave a mocking laugh and said, “Yeah, because married men never play away from home, do they?”

“Well I won’t be.” Aaron’s smile disappeared as he heard the seriousness of Robert’s tone. Well, that certainly cleared up any confusion he’d had about Robert’s commitment to Chrissie. It was rock solid.

“Oh. Right.”

“I love Chrissie. Once I exchange vows with her, there’s no way I’m cheating on her.” Aaron’s eyebrows rose at that. What was he supposed to say now? Robert looked over at him, then rose up onto one elbow so he could really get a look at Aaron’s face. He did his best to look neutral while the blond scrutinized his expression. “You must have worked that out by now!”

“Yeah, course I did,” Aaron told him, annoyed. So he’d had a few moments when he thought Robert might choose to come out of the closet, but for the most part he’d always known Robert would never leave Chrissie.

“Well that’s half the fun, isn’t it?” Robert pressed after a few seconds of silence between them. “We just got here and now”

Aaron gave a nod, surprised to feel bruised at Robert’s words. “If you say so.”

“It’s not a problem is it?” It was a question that really only had one right answer, because saying yes would have Robert up and dressed and out the barn door so fast that Aaron would be left blinking stupidly at the spot where Robert had lain beside him.

“No, of course not,” Aaron lied. Maybe it was a good thing Robert was getting married so soon. There wouldn’t be any time at all for Aaron to get attached to him.

Robert nodded, then sighed as he checked the time on his wrist watch. “I should get back to Lachlan.”

“I thought you said Belle was with him!” Aaron protested.

“Yeah, well I promised Chrissie, didn’t I.” Still, Robert wasn’t moving from his spot, so clearly he wasn’t in a rush.

Aaron raised his eyebrows and gave a frown, like he was considering something. “She’s not your wife yet though, is she?”

He watched the smile spread over Robert’s face. “That’s a fair point.” Aaron felt a wave of triumph as Robert leaned over him, kissing him. Chrissie would own Robert’s beautiful ass after they got married, but until then, it was Aaron’s to do with as he pleased.

He set about worshiping Robert’s body, determined to make sure the other man could never forget him, even years from now when he was settled down with Chrissie and they had a couple of brats running around their feet. Aaron ran his hands over every inch of that pale body, trying to hunt down every delicious freckle on his skin. When Robert was finally begging him for it, Aaron took them both in hand, sliding them together as he jerked them off.

“Aaron,” Robert breathed, his face so close. Aaron met his gaze, holding it as he quickened the pace. He watched as Robert’s face took on a frantic look, and as the blond threw his head back when he came. Seeing him, Aaron followed, trying not to look away as the older man unraveled in front of him.

In the end he couldn’t help squeezing his eyes shut as he came. But afterwards, he laid on the blanket and gazed at Robert as the gorgeous blond recovered. He observed how relaxed the older man looked as he got up, and how sated he seemed with his hair rumpled and his eyelids heavy with pleasure. He looked on as Robert got dressed, appearing decidedly debauched in his creased slacks and wrinkled shirt, with bits of hay sticking to all that dark fabric.

During all the staring he was doing, Aaron realized that if he had wanted to escape this affair without developing feelings for the other man, then he probably should never have met him today. After his New Year epiphany at the pub, when he realized he was ready to be in a relationship again, he should have quit while he was ahead and gone out to find someone who was actually available.

“There are worse ways of seeing in the New Year,” Robert said as he buttoned up his shirt. Aaron kept his eyes down as he played with a bit of hay in his hands.

He nodded in agreement. “So, I was thinking maybe we could… go for a pint or something,” he said as Robert rummaged around in his jacket pocket for his phone, not even looking at Aaron as he powered it on. “You know, somewhere away from here,” he added as the phone signaled missed texts.

“Oh no,” Robert breathed, looking concerned as he checked his messages.

“What’s up?”

“I’ve got to go.”

“Why, what is it?” Aaron asked.

“Family!” Robert told him, and then walked out without further explanation.

“Robert!” he called out, but the other man didn’t even spare him a glance as he left the barn. Aaron was left alone, still half naked under the blanket. It was clear Robert wasn't coming back, so he got up and dressed himself.

Once he was clothed, he stared numbly at the cum-spattered blankets and the discarded condom. His body felt relaxed and alive as the endorphins circulated through him, but inside he was just tired. It didn't feel great to be left to clean up their mess, he could say that much, and no amount of afterglow was going to make him happy as he grabbed up the tied off condom and found a hole outside to drop it in. He shook out the blankets and carried them to his car, to be washed later.

Aaron returned to the Woolpack, easily avoiding his mum who was working the bar today. A shower cleaned off the smell of sex, but his new found and completely unwanted feelings did not wash off down the drain. He was stuck with that, and he did his best to come to terms with it that day.

Evening found him sitting alone at the bar as Zak wandered in. The old man chose a seat at the bar directly in front of Chas. “Pint, love, please- and whatever you’re having.”

“Oh! Cheers, Zak.” Aaron listened to them talk about Lisa and diet pills, wondering what that was about. He might have to ask his mum later. Then the conversation turned to Belle, which is when things got interesting.

“What’s she done this time?” Chas was asking Zak.

The old man looked around, checking to see if anyone was listening. He paid no mind to Aaron, since he was a part of the Dingle family, and Zak trusted him to keep their secrets. “She’s taking one of them legal high drugs again.”

“She what?”

“Yeah, her and that Lachlan kid. He’s ended up in hospital.”

“Do you know how he is?” Aaron asked, getting a bad feeling about all this.

“Out of danger, apparently,” Zak said, sounding put out about it all.

“She’s alright?” Chas demanded, worried. Aaron realized he probably should have asked after Belle first, but when he heard about Lachlan, he suddenly knew why Robert had left the barn in a hurry.

“So far. Just have to not let her out of our sights.”

“How much trouble does she need?”

“Just get into the New Year and you think it’s all behind you, then it comes and it’s no better than the last one!” Zak said. Chas sighed sympathetically as she turned away. The old man’s attention caught on Robert as the blond man walked in, and Zak called out to him angrily. “Ah, here he is! You were supposed to be supervising them!”

“You know, I don’t have to answer to you.” Robert had come up to the bar, positioned halfway between Aaron and Zak. He looked stressed. Who could blame him, given what had happened. Aaron felt the guilt bite in deep, making his stomach turn.

“You do if my daughter’s involved!” Zak shouted.

“It was work! It was something I had to do,” Robert lied. Aaron could barely stand it, remembering the ultimatum he’d given the older man. This was down to him, wasn’t it? Robert had tried to call it off to watch over Lachlan, but Aaron had to go and press the issue.

“What-” Zak broke off, surprised by Robert’s words. “That important that you left your stepson in hospital and my daughter a right mess!”

“Well how was I supposed to know what was going to happen?” Robert demanded.

“Well if you’d have been where you should have been, it wouldn’t have happened!” Zak pointed out. Aaron looked away from them, feeling like each word was an accusation pointed at him instead of Robert. “I hope you can live with yourself, son. I honestly do.”

Robert stood there for a moment longer, upset and shifting from foot to foot like he wasn’t sure what to do. He turned to walk out, and Aaron glanced around to make sure Zak and Chas weren’t watching before he scooted back his bar stool and followed the taller man to the door.

He caught up to him in the entryway of the Woolpack. “Robert…” he said, torn. The other man glanced at him over his shoulder.

“Just leave it, alright, I’ve got stuff to sort out.”

The older man sounded angry and miserable, making Aaron feel all the worse. The only thing that made any of this bearable was that Lachlan was safely recovering in hospital. Aaron spoke to Robert, trying to reach him. “Listen, you can talk to me, you know that!”

“Oh, talk?” Robert said, facing Aaron and staring at him for a moment. The words that followed weren’t anything Aaron expected to hear. “You have no idea how much trouble I’m in! Chrissie doesn’t believe a word I said about where I was this afternoon.”

“Just hang on,” Aaron said, trying to wrap his mind around what he was hearing. Robert was scared he’d be found out?

“She doesn’t trust me, Aaron! I can’t lose her,” Robert said, looking pained. “You know how much she means to me!” Aaron took a deep breath, almost reeling at that. Once more he found his feelings bruised by Robert, but he had never felt stupider about getting hurt than now. The other man was, again, only thinking about himself.

Robert turned to lean against one of the walls in the entryway, looking sorry for himself. “What was I thinking, being with you?”

Aaron stared at him for a heartbeat, shocked. The fury came a split second later. He looked away in disbelief, then turned back to Robert and unleashed his rage. “So that’s what this is really about, you saving your own skin?” Aaron snarled.

Robert looked at him, offended. “I’m sorry?”

“Two kids nearly died today, and all you’re bothered about is looking after yourself! I don’t know why that surprises me.”

“Lachlan’s going to be fine!” The look on Robert’s face just made Aaron even more furious, like he was trying to puzzle out why he was suddenly being attacked. It was like their fight at Bar West all over again, when Robert couldn’t understand why Aaron wouldn’t take his side against Andy.

“See, I don’t think you really care,” Aaron growled, shaking his head. He gestured to the door with his chin and said, “So why don’t you just go home, save your perfect little relationship, and forget about anyone else.”

“You know what? That’s exactly what I’m going to do. And just so we’re clear about something, if there’s one thing I’m sure about, whatever this is between us is finished! It’s over! You got it?” Robert said. Aaron glared at him as the older man turned and walked out the door.

 

2 January 2015

As much as he was able to, Aaron put Robert out of his mind. It wasn’t worth thinking about anyway, was it? It was over now. He was far more concerned about Lachlan. He wasn’t going to be able to live with himself if the kid wasn’t alright. So when he entered the pub from the door behind the bar, and heard Alicia talking to David about the boy, he shamelessly listened in.

When Alicia approached the bar, Aaron grabbed her attention. “Did I just hear you say that Lachlan’s back on his feet?”

“Well, not yet, but soon. Any day now!” With a bright smile, she turned away from him, her long hair flying around as she turned. She passed Chas as she walked through to the back.

“Why do you care?” his mum asked. As always, she decided to poke around when he least wanted her to.

“I don’t,” Aaron said, scowling at her before he leaned onto the counter, trying to look nonchalant.

“If you think Robert will pull his investment because his mind’s on the kid, then don’t worry,” she told him. Aaron glanced over at her, surprised. He lowered his brows in confusion, frowning, so she said, “I might have had a word earlier.” Aaron turned away from her, sighing in exasperation. He rubbed at his face with one hand. “It was a total waste of time, anyway. He’s set on flipping helping you out. Sees himself as a right old guardian angel,” she told him with some disgust.

Aaron stared at her as she turned away.

Yesterday Robert had told him it was over, but today he had supposedly told Chas that he wasn’t going to back out of the investment. He had only decided to invest in the first place to give them a valid excuse to meet up, without causing suspicion if they were seen hanging around together.

After everything that had happened, it was stupid to feel a surge of hope inside. Robert was a selfish git, but Aaron couldn’t help his own feelings. They weren’t just going to disappear overnight because of one fight, now were they? Still, he’d give it some time before trying to talk to Robert. Just because he had feelings for the man didn’t mean he wasn’t still angry. He’d wait a few days, and see how he felt about the other man then.


	13. Kiss and make up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I told you I'd have this chapter posted by Thursday, but I guess that was an unintentional April Fools joke I played on you. I didn't get a chance to proofread this chapter, so I'm crossing my fingers that there are no horrible errors.
> 
> There is smut and there are feels in this chapter. I will try to post Chapter 14 by Sunday evening. No promises! I've been working overtime, and will continue to be putting in extra hours at work for two more weeks. Writing this story has been a stress release, but I need to sleep at some point! Weekends are a good time for crashing.
> 
> Anyway, I'm tired and rambling. Check in Sunday for Chapter 14, but if I don't have it posted by then, look for it on Monday.

 

2 January 2015

Chrissie was tearing through the house, gathering up items at random to take to Lachlan in hospital. Robert didn’t even know what excuse he could give her to explain his absence the other day, but she wasn’t even giving him a chance to come up with something. She was frantically running through the house, leaving him to chase after her.

“Where’s his stupid phone?” she asked herself, ignoring him. She left the black bag she was packing on one of the dining room chairs and wandered into the kitchen, her head turning from side to side as she supposedly looked for the phone.

“Can you just stand still a second!” Robert yelled, frustrated as she dodged his grip on her arm. “Talk to me,” he begged.

“I’ve not come here for a chat,” she told him, passing by the kitchen counter and searching its surface for Lachlan’s phone.

Robert thrust himself in front of her, trying to get her to focus. “Well too bad, because we need one!” She turned away from him so she could scan the top of the kitchen table. “Look,” Robert said, following close behind her, “you’ve spent all night with Lachlan. You can just give me a second! Take some time out!”

That got her attention. She had been leaning over the table, moving random items around in her mad search. At his words, she swung her face around so she could glance at him over her shoulder. “Time out?” Chrissie repeated, incredulous. She had now straightened up and turned to face him completely.

Robert took a deep breath and backed off, giving her some space. “Okay,” he said, backtracking. “I’m sorry, that was a bad choice of words, I get that-”

“If you did you never would have left him in the first place,” she told him. She looked sleep deprived and half wild as she stood in front of him, her face worn and her makeup a bit smudged around the eyes.

“I’m sorry- Lachlan’s stealing from your dad and selling those pills! It’s not down to me leaving him for a few hours,” Robert protested. Everyone kept treating him like he was the bad guy here, but he hadn’t forced Lachlan to take drugs. The kid had done that on his own.

“Him almost dying is,” Chrissie said, her voice hoarse with suppressed tears as she looked at him.

“Okay, fine, lash out. I can take that,” Robert told her, nodding his head. He could handle Chrissie firing up at him. What he couldn’t take was her ignoring him for much longer. “But he’s going to want to try stuff, and you breathing down his neck is only going to make it worse.”

“Is that what I do, breathe down his neck?” she asked, anger starting to win out over desperation in her tone.

Robert, once again, had to backtrack. But he was getting frustrated now, and couldn’t help rolling his eyes at her. “Well, you want to protect him.”

“Yeah, well I failed at that then, haven’t I?”

“No!” he protested. She was taking this all wrong! He just wanted to show her that neither one of them was responsible for Lachlan wanting to rebel.

“Do you think I drove him to this?” Chrissie asked, sounding wounded.

“No! God no.”

“No, I did, didn’t I? No wonder he wanted to escape! That’s why he sent me to pick up his things,” she realized. “Just to get me out of his face!” She looked so crushed, Robert tried to give her a hug. She evaded him, pushing past him to go stand by the dining room chair she had left the bag resting on. “Just- no! Dad will be wondering where I am. Can you just… Can you just look after things here? Please?”

“Chrissie, I want to help!”

“Well this is how!” she shouted at him. “Just stay here, please!” Robert watched helplessly as she picked up the black bag and stormed out, leaving him standing there alone.

Robert did stay put for a half hour, but there was absolutely nothing for him to do there. What he wanted most was to have Chrissie there, so he could make up with her, but she needed time. Following her to hospital would be a mistake. Unable to work things out with her at the moment, he found himself thinking of Aaron. He’d lashed out at him the other day, but surely the younger man would realize it was just the stress talking? If there was anyone who would understand what he was going through right now, it was Aaron. Robert needed that right now, the understanding. He needed the relief of tension that the young mechanic could provide. He had no intention of ending things with Aaron just yet, despite what he’d said the other day out of anger.

There was no reason to expect the Whites back any time soon, so Robert drove to the Woolpack and found Chas standing behind the counter, gossiping with Katie at the bar. He could have done without Katie being there. She grated on his nerves like no one else could, and he was not at his best at the moment. Robert tried to ignore her as he addressed Chas directly. “Is your Aaron about?”

“He’s on his dinner break,” she told him, giving him a cold look. It was frustrating that even people he rarely spoke to looked at him like he was scum.

“Here?” Robert asked her. She nodded, but didn’t offer to go grab Aaron for him. “Well, I’ll just go through then, shall I?” Robert asked, taking a step back as if he was going to go around the bar and find Aaron for himself.

“No, you’re alright,” she said reluctantly, glaring at him. She turned around toward the door to the back, raising her voice as she called out, “Aaron, love- oh, hey!”

Aaron had just appeared through the door. Robert’s eyes followed him, taking in the fierce scowl and the bright blue eyes. The younger man didn’t pause for Chas, going around her and moving quickly as if he had no intention of lingering. “You got a sec?” Robert asked, walking around Katie to meet Aaron as he came out from behind the bar.

“No, I’m late back and Cain’s in a mood again,” Aaron said, voice toneless and uninterested. Much as he had with Chrissie earlier, Robert thrust himself in front of Aaron, making the younger man pause in his rush toward the door.

“Only I could do with a chat,” Robert told him, meeting his eyes and trying to get him to understand. “About my… investment,” he finally said, tucking his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. No way was he saying more with Katie and Chas within hearing distance.

“Well it’ll wait,” Aaron told him, and then he was out the door. Robert had hoped to apologize to the other man for the way he’d acted the other day, so they could get back on track once the air was cleared between them. After all, it wasn’t as if Robert had left Aaron’s son to overdose. Chrissie had far more reason to be angry at him than did Aaron.

It was evident now that it was going to take more than just a small apology to make the other man soften toward him again. Robert was reminded of the adage about how only an idiot tries to fight a war on two fronts. He would have to fix things with Aaron first, before moving on to Chrissie.

Turning back toward the bar, Robert grabbed Chas’ attention, saying, “Orange juice, thanks. When you’re ready.”

He sat at a two seater not far from the bar; so close to it, in fact, that he was able to overhear Katie talking to Chas. “You’re wasting your time glaring, because if looks could kill, he’d have gone to hell ages ago. Go on, what’s he done now?”

“The investment he’s on about, for Aaron’s taxi business, is ten grand,” Chas told her. Robert glanced over at them, catching the shocked look on Katie’s face. “Exactly.” With that, Chas stalked over to Robert’s table, hips swinging and heels clicking as she gave him a smile that wouldn’t melt butter. She set down a juice glass and an opened bottle of orange juice for him.

“Did you forget the straw?” Robert asked her. She raised her eyebrows at him, giving him a politely questioning look that still didn’t manage to cover her disdain of him. “To suck the fun out of my day,” he added.

“Clever,” she said, “but you know what isn’t? Investing in a taxi firm with no chance of profits for years.” She shook her head at him, giving him a half smile and a shrug, as if she could hardly believe it herself. “If ever,” she added.

“It’s nice that,” he said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “The faith you’ve got in your son.”

“Call it experience. Me and Debs tried the whole taxi thing years back.”

“Yeah, well maybe Aaron’s a bit better at business than you are,” Robert told her, genuinely irritated that she already had her son failing before he’d given it an honest go. She was no better than his own family, with the way they had always put him down for having aspirations outside of being a farmer. Aaron wanted to go into business for himself, and he was only, what, twenty two? He had more direction and ambition than most men his age, and here was his mum, trying to scare off the only investor who would take a chance on two lads with records. Aaron deserved better.

“I hope so! Because then he and Adam have got a chance of scraping a living, but as for profits- not a chance! So why invest?”

That, at least, was an easy question to answer. He’d thought about that one long and hard before he had ever formalized his offer. After all, it was exactly the kind of question both Lawrence and Chrissie would ask and had asked. “Well, I help two local lads down on their luck; it makes me look good, which makes Home Farm look good.”

“Start with the church,” Chas advised him. 

“It’s a bit obvious, don’t you think?”

“Well it looks better than backing two ex-cons!”

Robert laughed at that, pulling out his wallet and leafing through it for the money he owed her for the orange juice. He was trying to play it cool, but really he was frustrated. Why couldn’t she just let it be and feel happy for her son? Ex-cons like Aaron didn’t normally get lucky breaks like this, after all. And frankly, between his frustration over the situation with Chrissie and his fight with Aaron, he had no patience left for Chas.

What really annoyed him though, was that he knew Chas wouldn’t be so against him investing in her son if she were just going off her personal interactions with him. Someone had poisoned her opinion of him. Robert had no doubt who was responsible.

“You’re too short sighted. It’s probably best if you stick to serving drinks, and keep your nose out of things you don’t understand.”

Chas took the money from him, her glare icy. He’d probably pay for it later, with Aaron, after she tattled to him about this little chat of theirs. The last thing he needed was to give Aaron another reason to be angry with him. Lately, it just felt like there was no winning. Robert watched Chas walk away, and saw the way she leaned in to start a whispered conversation with Katie.

He had absolutely no doubts about who was feeding Chas misinformation about him. Robert once again thought about the adage on fighting wars. There was an American author who had written that while an idiot fights a war on two fronts, only a madman would fight a war on three. He would have to find a way to shut Katie up before he could focus on making it up to Aaron. After all, Katie and Chas were thick as thieves, and Chas would be bad mouthing Robert to Aaron as long as Katie kept criticizing him.

The last thing he wanted was for Aaron to end things because his mum had made him turn on Robert. Yes, he was going to have to make Katie back off. The sooner the better.

He left the pub soon after coming to that decision. Robert knew it was possible that the Whites would return to Home Farm to rest up after keeping vigil over Lachlan, but he had a window of opportunity here before they came home with the boy and he had to watch his step and start accounting for his whereabouts every second of the day. Robert sat in the cafe for an hour, long enough that he was sure Katie would have made her way back to her home. Then he went to confront her, entering the house without knocking.

The invasion of her home put her on edge, exactly as he’d hoped it would. “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

Robert walked further into the house, keeping his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket so he appeared less threatening. He wanted her unnerved, not in fear that he was about to attack her. “If you don’t want visitors, lock the door.”

“Can you go please?”

“You’re properly spooked, aren’t you?” Katie stared at him, her chest rising and falling noticeably as her breathing accelerated. “What have I ever done to make you so uncomfortable?” he wondered aloud, not bothering to make his tone reassuring. He took a seat on one of the sofas, removing his hands from his pockets so he could grab a flyer off of the coffee table. It was a real estate listing of some sort, and Robert held it up as he said, “Finally getting this place on the market?”

“Are you going to leave, or am I going to have to call Andy?” He gave her a knowing look as he set down the flyer. They both knew she wasn’t going to call Andy to fight her battles. “What is it you want, Robert?”

Nice. They were getting straight to the point. Robert leveled a warning look at her when he spoke, trying to make his point stick. “Chas? She reckons I’m not the best person to be in business with. You’re encouraging that opinion. Don’t.”

“She’s my friend!” Katie protested. “She doesn’t need me to tell her what you’re really like. What’s wrong, Robert? What, too many people have seen through your bull? Just send them my way, I’ll set them straight.”

“You know,” Robert told her, furious, “you keep trying to turn people against me, and I’m going to have to defend myself.”

“Oh, I’m shivering in my boots here,” she mocked him, not backing down. “See, you reckon you’ve got me spooked, but I’m not the one walking around like they’ve got something to hide. Or… someone.”

He was on his feet before he could stop himself, stepping forward threateningly. Her words had struck too close to the truth, and he’d reacted without thought. “What, are you going to hit me? Is that your answer,” she goaded him.

As satisfying as it would feel to give her a smack, Robert knew better. “No, that’s more your new husband’s style. I just want to be clear; you keep coming after me, keep getting in my way, and it’s going to be goodbye to the farm, and goodbye to your happy future with Andy.”

Robert left before she could provoke him into doing or saying something he’d truly regret.

 

5 January 2015

The weekend was dedicated to getting Lachlan settled at home, and trying to wade his way through the mess his moment of fun in the hay had whipped up. Chrissie chose not to question him about where he’d gone, for which he was grateful. She had to have guessed he’d been with someone else. It was the only thing that fit with his absence and his inability to answer basic questions about where he’d been. Robert would have sworn that she was the type of woman to make screaming accusations and search for proof of the affair. Yet, for some reason, she chose to let it go. For the time being, at least.

He didn’t get his chance to go see Aaron until Monday afternoon. Robert approached the garage on foot, slowing down when he saw Aaron wasn’t alone. Luckily Dan made off presently, and Robert came around the parked car to approach the young mechanic. When Aaron looked up at him, he was quick to share his good news, saying, “So, er, Lachlan’s back home acting like nothing happened. Told you he’d be alright!”

Aaron, unfortunately, was not immediately uplifted by the information. Not that Robert had expected the younger man to be so pleased by the news that he’d drop trow right then and there and let Robert have his way with him, but he had expected some relief. Or, you know, anything besides anger. The mechanic’s scowl only deepened, and his strong body was held aggressively tense as he confronted Robert. “He could have died,” Aaron said, rough voice lowered so there was no chance of being overheard.

“Yeah, but he didn’t,” he countered. Focusing on what might have happened wasn’t going to do either of them any good. More than that, he didn’t want the younger man to start thinking this affair was more trouble than it was worth.

Aaron gave a humorless laugh as he looked away from Robert, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You don’t even care, do ya? Your first thought wasn’t is he alright; it was am I going to get found out!”

“Why are you being like this?” Robert asked, genuinely confused. Had Katie and Chas already managed to turn Aaron against him?

“Because all you ever do is think about yourself, and I’m sick of it!” Aaron walked away from him, entering the garage.

Robert was too surprised to follow, but he wasn’t willing to give up. He had to get back to Home Farm before he was missed, but the young mechanic was never far from his thoughts over the next couple hours. He finally decided that if they couldn’t talk in person, then maybe a text would break the ice. As he sat at his desk in the office, he took his phone out of his pocket and looked up to make sure Nicola was focused on her paperwork. Then he set about writing the text.

“I know you’re angry at me, but-”

No, that was too apologetic, as if he were in the wrong somehow. He hadn’t really done anything to apologize for, had he? All he’d done was angrily call an end to their affair, but he hadn’t actually made the same mistake as when he’d turned it personal when they fought at Bar West.

Robert deleted the text and thought for a few seconds. “Can we meet up later and talk?”

Wrong again. Knowing how prickly Aaron could be, the younger man would probably tell him to go to hell and ignore any further messages.

“The barn, 4:00.”

If anything was guaranteed to rankle, it’d be a text that sounded like he was ordering Aaron about. He deleted it immediately.

“Kiss and make up?”

Only yards away, Nicola shuffled papers at her desk. Robert hit send before he could second guess himself. He was rewarded about ten minutes later when his phone rang. Glancing up at Nicola who was looking over at him curiously, he felt a thrill shiver through him as he answered the call right in front of her. “Hello,” he said, voice coming out deeper than usual. “I’m glad you called.”

“I probably shouldn’t have,” Aaron said. It was ridiculous, but Robert could already feel his body stirring with interest, and the bloody man wasn’t even flirting with him. Hearing him, Robert decided that at some point they were going to have to give phone sex a try. The mechanic had a slight raspy quality to his voice that sounded quite alluring over the phone. In fact, if he hadn’t been certain that Aaron would be terrible at handling clients, Robert would be tempted to try and convince Lawrence they needed someone to man the phones at the office. Chrissie certainly wouldn’t feel threatened by a male, and Robert could periodically ask the helpful secretary to stay late…

He had the sudden image of bending Aaron over his desk, taking him while Chrissie and Lawrence had dinner in the next room. He shifted his chair so that he was sitting awkwardly close to his desk, hiding evidence of his arousal.

“I can make it worth your while,” Robert told him, peeking at Nicola again. She wasn’t looking at him, thankfully. She probably thought he was trying to make a sale or something.

“Meet me in half an hour,” Aaron said, and then hung up.

Robert grabbed his jacket before getting to his feet. He held it folded over one arm so that it draped down in front of him, and hid him from waist to thighs. “I’ll be back in an hour or so,” he told Nicola. He was lucky it was her in the office with him instead of Lawrence. The blonde woman just gave him a fake smile and didn’t bother asking for details. Robert hurried out, driving fast enough that he got to the barn before Aaron. It gave him a chance to take out fresh blankets from his car and lay them down over the hay. He supposed that Aaron must have removed the other blankets, because he couldn’t find them anywhere.

He heard Aaron’s car pull up outside. The younger man entered soon after, still looking all frowny and fierce. Robert was on him so fast Aaron probably didn’t know what had hit him. He kissed those downturned lips until they parted for him, letting him taste that mouth that drove him wild every time he saw it- everytime he saw Aaron biting those lips, or giving in to a rare smile. Robert lifted his hands to cradle Aaron’s face, and his fingers brushed against short dark hair that was surprisingly soft. He couldn’t help combing his fingers through the product-free hair. There was no denying the man looked sharp when he’d done his hair, but this was nice in a different way. It was possibly better.

Aaron finally had to pull away in order to breathe. Robert felt flushed as he realized he had not only slammed the younger man’s back into the door he’d just walked through, but Robert was also hanging all over him. He might have tried to pull away in embarrassment, but Aaron had a strong grip on the front of his jacket. So instead of pulling away, Robert kissed along his jaw so that the dark stubble scratched against his lips. He breathed in deep, taking in the masculine scent that was Aaron’s.

“This is nice and all, but I thought you were going to make it worth my while,” Aaron told him teasingly. Robert might have been offended except that the young mechanic was out of breath. And he could feel an undeniable hardness pressed against his own.

“Alright, cheeky!” Robert laughed, pulling away slightly so he could look him in the face. The frown was gone, replaced by a sassy look that made Robert want to tear his clothes off. Which, now that he thought about it, sounded like a great idea. He pulled roughly at Aaron’s clothes, intent on getting them off. Despite the younger man’s protests about the cold, the shirt went too. He wasn’t satisfied until Aaron was completely naked in front of him.

“Are you going to stand there all day staring while I freeze to death?” Aaron asked him, voice tart with irritation as he shivered. Robert had been staring (enjoying the view), and it seemed to be making the younger man uncomfortable if his averted eyes and reddened cheeks were any indication. He couldn’t help but think Aaron was self conscious about the scars. 

Robert had made him embarrassed about them, when he’d lashed out at Aaron as they fought at Bar West. Since then, the younger man hadn’t taken off his shirt when they’d been together, unless they were in the dark. And now Robert had stripped him and stared. Granted, he’d been admiring his fit body and not gawking at the scars, but still. He was going to have to make it up to Aaron.

First he undressed, until he was just as naked as Aaron. Hopefully the other man would relax a bit if they were both unclothed. He had been rough when he tore off the younger man’s clothes, but now he was gentle as he leaned in for a kiss. His hands grasped Aaron’s waist, thumbs brushing against the raised skin along his abdomen. He kissed and licked his way down Aaron’s body, until he was on his knees in front of him. Robert started exploring the scars, feeling them, kissing them. “You don’t have to,” Aaron told him, voice tense with unease.

“Shut up and enjoy it,” Robert told him. The younger man huffed with irritation, but some of the tension seemed to melt from him then, as if he’d found those words reassuring. There was no accounting for it, but he’d take anything that got Aaron to loosen up with him.

The scars themselves were numerous, but mostly small. Robert couldn’t begin to imagine what must have been going through the younger man’s head when he did that to himself. He often felt like he’d known Aaron for years, but really, how much had he learned about him since November? Robert couldn’t say what had pushed Aaron to hurt himself, and he couldn’t say how long ago it had happened. He knew next to nothing about the mechanic, not yet, but he would soon. Even after they ended their affair, once Robert got married, they’d still be business associates, wouldn’t they? They could be friends.

But he was far more concerned with the present than the future at the moment. Robert decided that he liked the feel of the slick scars against his mouth. He wrapped his hands around Aaron’s forearms, slowly letting them run down that sinewed length until he met Aaron’s hands. Holding them in his, he brought the younger man’s hands forward and turned them so that his inner arms were exposed, revealing the long silvery scars that he usually hid under long sleeves. Robert kissed those too, and then laid his lips against Aaron’s palms.

As he nuzzled into the left palm, Robert couldn’t resist letting his tongue flick out to feel the callouses there. That got a small sound out of Aaron, and Robert glanced up into his face. The younger man’s blue eyes were swimming with tears, as if any second they’d start running down his face. Seeing his response struck a chord deep inside of Robert, but he didn’t know what to do with that feeling, so he placed Aaron’s hands on his shoulders and hid his face against Aaron’s hip.

Being near tears had not negatively affected the mechanic’s arousal at least. Robert let his breath play softly against the sensitive skin there, enjoying the way it caused a full body shiver as Aaron reacted. Fingers curled into a tight fist in his blond hair, a sharp contrast to the gentleness he’d been showing the other man. “Christ, Robert, will you just use your mouth already?”

It surprised a laugh out of him, and he was glad Aaron had found a way to break through the overly intense moment they had shared. “It’s called foreplay,” Robert told him, deliberately ignoring the splendid erection in front of his face and turning his head so he could nibble along Aaron’s hip bone. “It’s actually quite good. You might want to try it on me sometime.”

“It’s called torture, and if you don’t start sucking and stop talking, I’ll try that on you.”

“Well, when you ask so nicely, how can I refuse?”

“You can’t. It’s kind of the point,” Aaron told him. Robert stopped nuzzling at Aaron’s hip and turned his face back toward the perfect cock in front of him. He loved everything about it, and he would have liked to just admire it for a moment. He didn’t because it might be a bit weird. Robert found his own fascination with the younger man’s package a bit embarrassing.

“You want me to use my mouth?” Robert asked teasingly. “Like this?” He gave the rosy head a quick peck and looked up at Aaron, trying to look innocent. He doubted he managed it, not when he couldn’t help licking his lips, trying to taste Aaron there.

“Like this,” he corrected, running his finger along Robert’s lower lip. He obligingly parted his lips, allowing the other man to stick it in his mouth while he sucked on the calloused digit. “If you suck my dick just like that, I might see about using this finger in a different hole.” Robert couldn’t hold in the eager groan that escaped him, and he pulled off of Aaron’s finger with a wet pop to eagerly start licking at the man’s neglected cock. “Mmm, yeah, just like that, Robert.”

He didn’t need encouragement, not now that he had his mouth on him. Robert was already on his knees, but he shuffled a bit closer and then sat back on his heels. It lowered him just enough that he had better access to Aaron’s balls. Robert wrapped his fingers around his cock and held it up out of the way so he could lick along the balls, sliding his tongue up the middle along the testicles. A gasped breath came from above him as the mechanic pressed hard up against the barn door, trying to stay upright. Robert smiled as he did it again. He sucked each ball into his mouth, first one and then the other, going back and forth.

He marveled at that fresh, somewhat salty taste to Aaron’s skin there, and he ran his tongue up the underside of the shaft until he got to the head. Robert rolled his tongue over the tip for a few moments, and the eased his lips over the head. Finally, he began to suck the length into his mouth, bobbing up and down, and using his hand on the base. He wasn’t ready to try his luck at deepthroating, but Aaron wasn’t complaining. The younger man had his hands in Robert’s hair, gripping tight whenever Robert got to a particularly sensitive spot. He got a good pace going, pausing now and then to lick at the base briefly before returning once more and taking Aaron’s length in his mouth.

Robert knew Aaron was close when his body tensed up and the hands in his hair kept Robert in place. He slowed the pace just a bit, taking in as much of Aaron as he could each time he lowered his mouth onto him. Then Aaron was cuming, his hips thrusting as Robert struggled to keep them still so he didn’t choke too badly. He swallowed as much as he could, and let the rest of Aaron’s seed roll down his chin.

Getting to his feet, Robert wrapped his arms around the younger man, encouraging him to lean his weight forward so that he was pressed against Robert’s chest instead of the barn door. It felt amazing holding Aaron in his arms like that, feeling those muscles quivering with pleasure. He licked at his own lips, catching hints of Aaron everywhere. “So much for the blankets,” Robert said. He had launched himself at Aaron as soon as he had entered the barn, so they had never made it to the blankets that Robert had laid out for them.

“Mm,” Aaron said. Robert smirked at that, and rubbed his hands along the other man’s smooth back.

“Don’t tell me I wore you out! I seem to remember you making a promise regarding your finger…”

“I don’t think I ever said when the fingering would be taking place,” Aaron murmured, lifting his head from Robert’s shoulder to give him a lingering kiss. As Aaron licked the taste of himself off Robert’s chin, he felt his own cock ache with need.

“You’d leave me like this?” he asked as he rubbed himself against the younger man.

“I suppose you did make it worth my while,” Aaron conceded, straightening up and starting to guide Robert back toward the blankets. He let the other man push him down onto them. Aaron found the tube of lubricant they had left behind from last time and put it down within reach before he settled down between Robert’s legs and startled nibbling along the inside of his thighs. He gasped and let his head fall back, intent on enjoying the ride. With Aaron, he never had any doubts that it was going to be good.

Before he’d started up with Aaron, Robert had never been with a bloke who kept a beard. It hadn’t taken him long to decide he loved it. So much, that he kind of missed it when he was with Chrissie. Not that she wasn’t great in bed as well. It was just… different. He moaned as he felt that scruff tickling his thighs. Robert stared down the length of his own body, and seeing that dark head positioned there, with those blue eyes watching him was enough to make him wild.

Aaron didn’t tease him too much. Robert had already waited, and if it went on too much longer it would get painful. He watched Aaron pour lube on his fingers, and he lifted his legs and held onto them with his hands behind his knees. The gesture left him exposed. The sensation of Aaron’s fingers rubbing along his hole felt so good, but it was even better when Aaron’s mouth replaced them. That beard brushing against the sensitive skin there while Aaron’s tongue thrust into him made him cry out.

It was wonderful, but he wanted more. He wanted so much more. Aaron’s fingers would do, but Robert couldn’t help but think of the night that he’d let the other man take him. It had been his first time, and he’d enjoyed it so much that he’d asked Aaron to do it again right after. He’d been satisfied at the time, but afterwards it had left him embarrassed. He always liked to be the one in control, but that night he had let Aaron do whatever he liked. It was the first time in his life that he’d orgasmed so intensely that he’d blacked out for a moment. Robert wanted to try it at least one more time before he got married, but he was too uncomfortable to ask. He was normally such a hedonist that most of his past lovers would call him shameless, but for some reason the complete abandon he’d felt when he let Aaron top him made him self-conscious. Anyway, now wasn’t the time for it. The younger man had already come, and he might not be up to it so soon after.

The thoughts were driven from his head when Aaron slipped the first finger inside of him. Robert let go and just enjoyed himself, not wanting to overthink anything. Just the feel of that finger working in and out of him felt so good, and then Aaron must have changed the angle or something because suddenly he touched that sweet spot. Robert groaned, fingers digging into his own flesh as he held his legs in place.

“Ung, yes, right there!” he shouted. He felt Aaron nip the back of his leg with gentle teeth as he added a second finger. Robert was delirious with how good it felt, and he didn’t give a thought to the sounds he knew he was making. Letting go of his right leg, Robert let it fell to the side so he could take himself in hand, but Aaron brushed it away.

“Not yet,” Aaron told him. He felt like he would go mad as a third finger was added, and Aaron kept hitting that sweet spot. He could feel the pleasure growing, and suddenly his climax hit him like a wave, rolling over his whole body. There was pressure building again, and then he was shooting his load, shouting as he came. Aaron’s mouth fit over him as he shot load after load, swallowing him down.

Robert was left gasping for air, while his body trembled and every part of him felt so sensitive that the smallest of touches would rouse him. Aaron came up off him with a wet sound, his tongue licking his lips clean. Normally Robert could be very affectionate right after, but this time he just laid there, limp all over and quivering.

Aaron moved up so that he was laying next to Robert. The younger man was on his belly, propped up on his elbows so he could look at him. “You’d best remember that the next time you plan on acting like a muppet,” Aaron told him.

Normally Robert would complain and try to defend himself, but this time he nodded. “Believe me, I will,” he promised. He’d be thinking about this for weeks, at least. 

Chrissie herself commented on his good mood when he left the barn and came back to Home Farm. Luckily, he had just sat down at his desk when she entered the office. Not wanting her to know he’d skipped off again, Robert nodded to Nicola. “You can go home now.”

“Alright, thanks!” she said, immediately getting to her feet and gathering her things. Robert turned his attention to Chrissie.

“You’re in a good mood,” she noted. How she was able to tell so quickly, after having only just now entered the room, Robert couldn’t guess.

“I got a lot of work done,” he lied. He could have said he was happy to have Lachlan home, but he didn’t want to open that can of worms.

“Good, then maybe we could go into town for dinner?”

“Yeah, great,” he said, pleased that she was offering. Things had gotten pretty tense between them, and he hated to be at odds with her.

“Why don’t you go on ahead? Lachlan is just finishing up some schoolwork, but he should be ready in fifteen minutes. Grab us a table?”

“Right,” he said, careful not to show his disappointment. He wanted to have some time alone with her. Chrissie had been inseparable from her son all weekend. Not that Robert couldn’t understand why, but at some point she was going to have to get over it and let the lad have some breathing space. It was in his best interest to just go along with it though, so he drove to the Woolie on his own.

He was beyond annoyed when he got a call from Chrissie just as he walked into the pub. She was cancelling dinner because Lachlan was acting up. “Can you just bring us something back?” she asked him.

“Alright, okay I’ll see you later,” he said.

“Oh dear, have you been stood up?” Chas asked from behind the bar as he ended the call.

“Looks like it,” Robert said, taking off his jacket. “Might as well have a pint while I’m here. Be back in a sec.” He made his way to the toilets, and ran into Aaron at the door. Robert nodded at him, a smile tugging at his lips as Aaron paused to meet his eyes. The younger man hid his own smile, and he moved out of the doorway. They both looked at each other over their shoulders for a breathless moment, and then Robert was through the doors and Aaron had walked away.

It had been just an hour since they had been together, but it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly for them to meet up in Aaron’s room. Robert could put in a food order, and Chas would be out of their way while she worked the bar. He’d just have to make sure Diane and Doug didn’t see him if they were in tonight.

Robert reached for his cell phone to send Aaron a text. He patted his pockets, and then realized he must have left it with his jacket. No matter, he’d send the text soon enough. And he’d cancel that pint he had ordered. He’d much rather spend some time with Aaron than sit around the bar with Katie and Chas!

 

7 January 2015

Katie was going to ruin everything.

Robert didn’t know that yet, when he walked into the pub for a drink. “Pint,” he said, nodding to Chas. He was trying to keep things pleasant between them.

“All on your lonesome?” she asked. Her tone wasn’t exactly polite.

“Yeah, is that a problem?”

“No, I just thought you’d have made a few mates by now, but then again, that never was your style.” He wondered how she’d react if she knew his best mate in this godforsaken village was her own son. Badly, he suspected.

It was bad enough having to deal with Chas, but then Katie and Andy walked in. She came to stand next to him at the bar to order a couple of drinks. She placed her hands on the bar, and he noticed her wedding band was gone. “Oh dear, don’t tell me it’s over already? Your marriage is even shorter than the last one!”

“Oh, you’re talking about the rings,” Katie said, lifting her left hand so it was within easy view of Robert and Chas. “Yeah, they’re at the jewelers, getting the inscription rubbed out. See, if only we could do the same with you.”

“Ouch,” Chas said, placing a pint on the bar for Robert.

“Aw, there I was about to come over and join you!”

“Naw, don’t worry,” Katie reassured him. “Don’t want to keep you from your secret rendezvous.”

Chances were she was just being a pain in his arse, but he didn’t like her pleased expression. “You’ve lost me,” he said, trying to play it off.

“With your mystery lover. ‘A’ isn’t it?” How the bloody hell had she seen his phone? That’s what he had Aaron saved as in his contacts.

He was speechless for just a heartbeat, but silence was incriminating at this point. “What’s this?” Chas asked, her sudden interest evident in the tone of her voice.

“Must have your wires crossed,” Robert told Katie, shrugging as he gave a laugh.

“Right. So you weren’t meeting someone when you were supposed to be looking after Lachlan. Only Chrissie seemed quite upset about that.”

Robert stared at her for a split second, furious. “You know if I were you, I’d get my facts straight before I’d start mouthing off.”

“Oh, I’m sure my facts are spot on, thanks!” she said, smiling as if she had him exactly where she wanted him. He’d be inclined to say she did, except that she had no proof. “Once I’ve spoken to Chrissie…” Robert straightened up at that, glaring at Katie as she walked away. She had definitely crossed a line there!

Robert knew he’d deliberately wound her up on numerous occasions since he’d returned to Emmerdale. And the whole fiasco with the wedding rings had been a huge mistake on his part, he’d be the first to admit it. They didn’t like each other, and both were prone to taking potshots at the other. Ever since her wedding though, she’d started going after him in earnest. She was mouthing off to others, like Chas, turning them all against him. And now she was apparently sneaking about, looking at his phone, and threatening to ruin his relationship with Chrissie.

He had to do something about her. Otherwise Katie was going to ruin his life.

With that in mind, he met Aaron and arranged for them to put things on hold for a while. The younger man was in no way pleased. Robert regretted that the conversation ended tensely, and he knew his upset over the entire situation meant he hadn’t handled it as well as he could have. But at least he had learned from past mistakes, and this time he didn’t prematurely call it quits between them.

After he spoke to Aaron, he went into town and picked up the wedding rings from the jewelers. It was ridiculously easy. They asked him for identification, and once they saw he was Mr. Sugden, they overlooked his first name and handed over the rings once he had paid them. Robert had wanted to go meet Andy and Katie directly, but the unexpected trip into town had him almost running late for a meeting with a client. He met the man at Home Farm, and was almost finished going through paperwork with him when Katie burst into the room.

“Where are they?” she demanded. Robert gaped at her. Had she gone completely mad?

“Sorry,” Robert said to his client. “Can you excuse us just for a second?” The young businessman nodded, taking the interruption in stride. Robert rose from his seat and met Katie, closing the double doors to the parlor to hopefully limit what the man might overhear.

“You’ve taken them, haven’t you?” Katie asked, as soon as he’d closed the doors.

“What? You mean these?” he asked, taking the rings from the pocket of his vest. “I thought I’d save you the hassle and pick them up for you.” She made a grab for them, but Robert evaded her and gripped Katie’s arm tightly. “Though by rights, one of them should be mine, seeing as they are made of my dad’s ring!”

“Hand them over, Robert.” She said it like she had ownership over it. He had so badly wanted to reconcile with Andy and the rest of his family, but he would never get over the fact that Katie would be wearing his father’s wedding ring. A less deserving cow he’d never met.

“Allow me,” he fumed, latching onto her left arm and holding her hand still. He twisted the ring onto her finger, not bothering to be gentle. “It’s almost like it was meant to be, eh?” She glared at him, but he knew she was nervous now. Good. How dare she come into his home, interrupt his meeting, and act like she had every right to do so? Robert let go of her and went to a nearby side table, where he had left the paperwork for Wylie’s. He grabbed it, and then approached Katie once more. “Do you know what this is? Paperwork for Wylie’s Farm. Wouldn’t it be a shame if anything were to happen to it? I mean, last minute hiccups….”

“Except we’re buying it from Lawrence, not from you,” she told him. Her tone was defensive, but he could see past that to the worry. She was scared that she had just screwed up the sale for Andy.

“Well, I am his son-in-law.”

“Not yet,” she said, shaking her head.

“As good as. You know, one word from me, and it’s bye-bye Katie’s love nest.”

“And what about your little love nest? Eh? I mean, what if Chrissie were to find out about what you’ve been getting up to with this... A.”

“Well, there’s nothing to hear,” Robert said, with an amused shrug as he watched her try to bring him down. She would fail. He’d make sure of that.

“Kiss and make up. Doesn’t sound like nothing to me.”

“I’ve told you, Katie,” Robert warned her, getting in her face. How dare she try to ruin things between him and Aaron? “You keep prying into things that don’t concern you, and it won’t just be your farm that disappears, do you understand?”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

“Meaning you know what I’m capable of. Right, I ended your first marriage to Andy, and I’ll do it again.” That seemed to strike a nerve, and she fell silent. Robert opened the door to the parlor, glaring at her before stepping through and returning to his client.

If she was going to threaten his relationship with Chrissie, then she had only herself to blame if he had to attack her marriage to Andy.

 

8 January 2015

Robert spotted Andy and Katie in David’s shop. It was the perfect chance to show her that he wasn’t shy to play dirty if she didn’t back off. He grabbed Andy’s attention and said, “Hey, look, er… Sorry about the rings.” He gave them both an apologetic look, trying to look like he meant it. “I thought I was doing you a favor.”

“Because that’s you all over, isn’t it?” Katie responded. Andy glanced at her, surprised at her tone. To him, it no doubt looked like Katie was rejecting his apology out of hand.

“It was my fault they were there in the first place. The least I could do was cover the bill. I’d literally just got home when Katie arrived.”

“Well, we’ve gotten them back now, so let’s forget it,” Andy said. Good old Andy, always willing to turn the other cheek.

“Are you sure? Because I don’t want any hard feelings. I was being a spoiled brat, I know, but I’m over it now, and, er…” He trailed off, glancing at Katie. She looked like she’d swallowed a bug. A big, hairy bug that had bitten her on the way down. Knowing it would drive her up the wall, he said, “Especially now that I know you two are going to be really happy together.”

Katie gave him a disgusted look. “Oh, please!” she said, and she walked out, clearly unable to listen to anymore of his bull.

“Like I said, it’s no harm done in the end,” Andy told him.

“Cheers, bro,” Robert said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Appreciate it.” Andy gave him a nod and walked out. He didn’t seem happy about the situation, but he seemed inclined to forgive and forget.

Robert was in fine form. He had successfully annoyed Katie and apologized to Andy, all in one conversation. When he arrived home, Lachlan was headed out, which gave Robert some alone time with Chrissie that he could use to get back on her good side. She was muttering over the dirty uniform Lachlan had just handed her after imperiously telling her she’d forgotten to wash it. “Yes, boss! Sorry, boss! Permission to clean your football boots as well?”

“Why you being weird?” Lachlan asked as he put his jacket on.

“She’s overexcited. Mums and football! Dead embarrassing,” Robert said, grinning as he stood next to Chrissie and clasped her shoulder. He could tell just by looking at her that she was doing much better now, and had gotten over the worst of the stress she’d felt over her son.

“Just wash my kit and pick me up on time,” Lachlan said, grabbing his bag and heading out the door.

“It might all seem very lame to you,” Chrissie said as she headed toward the kitchen with Robert following, “but it’s the first time he’s joined in anything! He hated clubs, swimming…”

“Ugh, it’s overrated,” Robert assured her as he lifted the grocery bag he’d come home with onto the counter. “What’s wrong with building a dam and exploding some frogs with your mates?”

“He didn’t do that either,” she told him as she brought out a couple of cups for them and placed them on the counter next to him, along with the French press. She gave a cute little frown and a shake of her head as she asked, “What the hell is an exploding frog?”

“You don’t want to know. Look, I think it’s great, seriously. Me and him, slobbing out on the sofa, watching Champions League- you’ll be sorry then,” he said teasingly. He enjoyed her smile as she poured coffee into their cups and added cream. Robert had missed this- the closeness and the domesticity he had shared with her before Lachlan had ended up in hospital.

“I didn’t start this, it was Alicia’s idea!” Chrissie protested, looking at him. “I think she just knows boys.”

“Well, we’re not that complicated,” Robert told her as he reached out and snagged an arm around her waist. “Honest,” he added, giving her a tug so she was drawn in more closely to his side. She didn’t pull away, which was a damn sight better than she’d been doing a couple days ago. “Look, I’ll buy her a pint the next time I’m in the pub.”

Chrissie leaned in and kissed him. It was brief, but she stayed there close to him, looking up into his face as she leaned her weight against his side. “Okay,” she whispered, smiling. Robert smiled back at her, pleased.

Things were finally beginning to look up, but he didn’t dare believe he was out of the woods yet. He still wanted to be cautious, and it was because of that that he wasn’t exactly pleased when Aaron showed up at Home Farm. Granted, the younger man was there to discuss legitimate business, but Robert was nervous having him there while Chrissie was in the next room. In his hurry to rush Aaron out, Robert was afraid he was a bit callous toward him, but there was no help for it.

With the exception of his conversation with Aaron, Robert was pleased with the events of the day so far. He made plans to meet Chrissie at the cafe for lunch, and there was just enough time for him to stop at the pub before that in the hopes that he’d find Alicia working today instead of Chas. His luck held true. He approached the bar and made a bit of small talk with her before Alicia offered him a pint. “Yeah, and whatever you’re having,” he told her. She gave him a questioning look, and he explained. “Chrissie’s really chuffed about how this footie things turned out.”

“Ah, well, glad I could help! You know, she was really upset the other day about Lachlan,” she told him with a pointed look.

“Yeah, er, I dropped the ball a bit. Still kind of finding my feet with this whole step-dad thing, to be honest. I’ll make it up to him though.”

“Good,” she said as she poured him a pint. “Although I’m sure it’s not all one way. Lads are a nightmare if our Jake is anything to go by.”

“I thought girls were supposed to be the tricky ones?”

“Hmm, yeah, they are a million times worse,” she agreed with amusement.

“Not speaking from personal experience, of course,” he joked with her.

“My sister was the terror! I was really shy, which is why I get Lachlan.”

“Well, certainly can’t accuse you of that now, can I!”

“Do you know, he’ll come into his own! I bet he’ll surprise you all.” Robert nodded, and nursed his pint before heading over to meet Chrissie and Lachlan at the cafe.

They hadn’t been sitting there long when Aaron walked in and made his way to the counter. He kept glancing over at Robert, looking terribly obvious. “I’m going to get another coffee,” he told Chrissie. She glanced up from her phone briefly and nodded to him before returning to whatever she was doing. Robert stood and made his way to the counter so he could have a word with Aaron. “Do you want to look any more shifty?” he asked, coming to stand beside the mechanic.

Aaron straightened up from where he’d been leaning his arms on the counter. “Thought we weren’t allowed to talk.” He was referring to how Robert had hurried him out of his house earlier, before Chrissie could find him there.

“You really are bad at this, aren’t you,” Robert sighed, irritated.

“Yeah, well I haven’t had a lot of practice,” Aaron told him, seeming to be equally annoyed. Robert stared straight ahead, so it wouldn’t look like they were having a conversation if Chrissie glanced behind her and spotted them standing next to each other. “Anyway,” Aaron murmured, his lowered voice sounding raspy in that way that Robert liked. “I was in the pub earlier. Everyone thinks it’s Alicia you’re having a fling with.”

“What?”

“According to Katie,” Aaron explained. “I heard her telling my mum.”

“Great,” Robert sighed, wondering if his luck had just run out. The last thing he needed was for rumors to start flying about and getting to Chrissie.

“You’ll have to put them straight, now won’t you. Save your reputation,” Aaron said, his tone mocking.

“Yeah,” Robert agreed, ignoring the fact that the younger man was poking fun at him. An idea occurred to him then, and he stood there silently for a moment while he thought it out. “Or not!”

Aaron turned to look at him. “How do you mean?”

“That nosy little stable girl has just given us a gift horse,” Robert whispered to him, referencing Katie’s love of horses. He looked into Aaron’s blue eyes and grinned at the younger man. Today really was his lucky day. Chrissie was warming up to him again, and now he’d be able to eliminate all the rumors that he was having an affair. That meant he and Aaron could carry on as they had been, without Robert having to worry that Katie was following him or that Chrissie would believe anything she had to say.

There was no time like the present to put his plan into motion. Robert offered to drive Lachlan to practice, which had the added benefit of making Chrissie happy that he was taking an interest in being a father to her son. In Robert’s opinion, Lachlan was too old to ever think of him as much of a father figure. His real intention wasn’t to try bonding with Lachlan. He wanted to get the opportunity to chat with Alicia.

He stayed on the pretense of watching Lachlan help coach the footie team. Robert spent the first half of practice getting in good with Alicia. He played up on how he just wanted what was best for his stepson, and offered to donate new uniforms to the team. Alicia was beyond charmed at his interest in her husband’s footie team. She was quick to tell David about it, and Robert had them both eager to meet with him to discuss him potentially sponsoring the team.

David wanted to meet at the pub the next day, but Robert saw his chance and took it. “Let me talk it over with Alicia, if you can spare her for half an hour?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” David joked. “She was going to explain the offside drill as the kids slipped on their oranges.” Robert laughed politely, and looked on as Alicia happily kissed her husband before running off to the pub with Robert.

They got a seat at the bar, and Robert ordered a bottle of wine from Chas. She played right into his plan by being nosy. “I thought you were going to be busy tonight with the team,” Chas said to Alicia as she placed a couple of wine glasses in front of them.

“And I am!” Alicia said, glancing at Robert as he took off his jacket.

“Right, I’m no expert, but even I can tell the difference between a football and a bottle of our most expensive red!”

“Yeah, well I’m thinking of sponsoring the kids,” Robert told her. Chas was predictably skeptical, but she eventually left them on their own. Robert was sure to lean in close to Alicia as they spoke, keeping his eyes on her. His overly attentive posture would never have worked on another woman, but Alicia was naturally a flirtatious woman. She seemed to enjoy the attention he gave her, confident in her own commitment to her husband, and his to Chrissie.

Robert worried that his efforts might all be for naught when Chas rudely interrupted them and begged Alicia to cover the bar for her while she stepped out. Thankfully she wasn’t gone too long, and Robert stood from his seat as Alicia came back around to his side. “Come on, we’d best get off! David’s going to wonder what we’re up to,” he told her playfully. Alicia giggled, absolutely delighted by the flirtatious banter he’d kept up the entire night.

As they turned toward the door, Andy and Katie walked in. This day just kept getting better and better. Robert ignored them and leaned in close to to Alicia as they walked out, side by side. She seemed like the sort of woman who wouldn’t mind if he guided her while they walked, so Robert reached over and placed his hand lightly on her back to lead her toward the door. He knew the touch would not go unnoticed by Katie.

As he walked out the door, he turned and glanced at the bar. Katie was leaning toward Chas. Over the ambient noise of the pub, he could just make out her words. “And you reckon there’s nothing going on there!”

She was falling for it. Robert figured he could have this situation nicely cleared up tomorrow night, when he met with David and Alicia at the Woolie. Then he could apologize to Aaron for brushing him off, and they could kiss and make up again.


	14. You’ll make me think I fell for a quitter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this. I had really wanted to post it yesterday, but just couldn't get to it.
> 
> Chapter 15 will be posted on Sunday, that's a promise! Please enjoy, and as always, feel free to leave comments.

7 January 2015

Maybe it was for the best that Robert was putting them on hold until he figured out how he wanted to deal with the rumors Katie was spreading about him. That wasn’t to say Aaron was happy about it. He was especially not pleased with how Robert chose to go about it. The man was panicking again.

Aaron had asked to meet him in the parlor at the Woolpack, after he’d heard a conversation that Chas and Katie were having at the bar. Apparently Katie had been snooping in Robert’s phone, and thought he was knocking off some bird whose name began with A. They were speculating about who Robert was having an affair with, going through every girl in the village whose name started with an A. While they gossiped, he had sent Robert a text to meet him in the back.

“Why here?” Robert demanded when he arrived, following Aaron into the parlor.

“Why not?”

“Because your mum could walk in!”

“So we’ll tell her we’re talking about the business,” Aaron told him. It wasn’t as if he were going to jump his bones right where they stood! There was no need to worry about Chas walking in on anything, and Aaron was far more concerned with other matters. He shut the door they had just walked through and turned to Robert.

“Last thing I need is her getting on my case. It’s bad enough with that conniving cow Katie snooping around!” Robert said angrily.

“Yeah I know,” Aaron sighed in resignation.

“You know?” Robert questioned, staring at him. It hadn’t taken much to figure out Robert wasn’t going to be happy about any of this. The blond man stood there before him, face demanding answers.

“Well, she was going on about it to me mum before, but she only went through your phone and read your last text! It’s fine!” Aaron rushed to reassure him as Robert looked away, setting his hands on his hips and shaking his head. “Just relax!”

“Relax? This is exactly what she wants to get back at me!”

“They think it’s a bird,” Aaron told him, trying to calm him down.

“Oh, and that makes it okay?”

He had been sure that the thing Robert would focus on was that Katie would figure out he was having an affair with a man. Aaron foundered for a moment, blindsided although he really shouldn’t have been. “Look,” he finally told Robert, “if you’re worried we can be more careful.”

“No, we’ll be nothing.”

“Meaning what?”

“Meaning…” Aaron held his breath, sure that Robert was once again going to tell him it was over between them. Robert licked his lips, looking unsure of himself for a moment. “Until this has all calmed down a bit, you and I go back to being strangers.”

Aaron shook his head as he processed that. “You what?”

“We don’t look at each other, and we definitely don’t talk to each other.”

That was just stupid. No one had any reason to suspect Robert was knocking off with another bloke, so why would Katie, or anyone else, look twice at them talking to one another? It made no sense! “The whole point of us going into business was so we could do this!

“Yeah, well, as of now I’m a silent partner.”

Aaron watched Robert walk out. They were now on hold. Aaron paced the room, frustrated. For a minute or two, he wanted to hit someone- possibly Robert for panicking and overreacting to this rumor. After all, it wasn’t as if Katie had any proof, was it? And if Robert hadn’t deleted the incriminating text by now, then he was a proper idiot who deserved to get caught.

Once he calmed down though, he wondered if putting a hold on whatever it was they were doing together would actually be good for him. Aaron could no longer deny that he was developing definite feelings for the other man. It had started with his realization on New Year’s Eve that he was ready to be in a relationship again. Then when they had met at the barn the day Robert should have been looking after Lachlan, Aaron had come to see that unwelcome feelings were starting to unfold inside of him. While those feelings were unwelcome, Aaron hadn’t been worried about becoming too attached. Not until two days ago.

Aaron knew the score from the very beginning. Whatever Robert’s reasons for pursuing Aaron, the one consistent thing about him was that he was determined to marry Chrissie. Maybe he was unsatisfied with his sex life with Chrissie, or he just wanted the thrill of being bad. Maybe he was gay and so far in the closet he couldn’t admit that straight men weren’t supposed to knock boots with other men. Or maybe, Robert just did what he liked with no concern for how his actions affected others. Aaron didn’t have the answers, but he knew that Robert was getting married. He wasn’t for Aaron. It was just about the sex.

But then Robert had undressed him and gone over every scar Aaron had self-inflicted, as if he wanted to heal each and every one of them. That was more than just sex, wasn’t it? After a string of one night stands, Aaron was pretty sure he knew what it looked like when two blokes got together in the dark for some meaningless sex. He had been with men who asked him about the scars, or got turned off by them. Some men ignored the scars, others touched them during.

Aaron stopped pacing the room and just stood there in the parlor, rubbing his face with his hands. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but it seemed to him that there was a difference in the way Robert had explored the scars the first time he’d found them versus how he’d given them his attention this last time. There had been extra care in his touch; tenderness, even. It had tipped the scales for Aaron. He’d gone from having simple feelings for Robert, which he believed would pass soon enough after Robert got married, to having the beginnings of much deeper emotions. Aaron hadn’t even worked it all out for himself yet. But he knew that he was going to be hurting when Robert ended things with him.

So yeah, maybe it was a good thing they were taking a break. It might give him a chance to catch his breath.

 

8 January 2015

It wasn’t exactly easy to get some breathing room when he was supposed to go into business with the man. Aaron sat in the cafe that morning, having a cup of coffee with Adam. His friend was on the phone, trying to turn the taxi firm from a pipe dream to a real thing. “We need to catch up with Robert and check all these auctions out,” Adam told him eagerly.

“I don’t think he’s going to be that bothered, mate,” Aaron told him, uncomfortable. After the conversation he’d had with Robert the other day, it seemed like a bad idea for Adam to contact him about the business. “He doesn’t want to be hands on with it, does he.”

“But it’s his money,” Adam said, clearly confused.

“Peanuts to him though, isn’t it?” Adam frowned at him, clearly not convinced that Robert would hand over ten grand without caring what they did with it. “Look, I’ll call him and try to fix something up. I’m just saying, don’t get your hopes up, that’s all.”

Adam was off to meet a bloke about the taxi firm. They agreed to meet at the pub later, to discuss Adam’s meeting. Once his mate left, Aaron sent Robert a text to let him know he was stopping at Home Farm to speak to him about the taxi firm, and then he finished up his coffee and headed out.

Sam Dingle spotted him as he drove up to the house. He was family, and Aaron wasn’t worried about being seen there by him. As he got out of the car, Sam shuffled up to him with a nod. “Didn’t expect to see you here,” Sam said. He had a perpetually nervous manner, although he wasn’t actually as shy as all that.

“I’ve got business with Robert,” Aaron told him, tucking his hands in his pockets against the cold.

“Come on then,” Sam told him, beckoning him forward with a nod as he headed toward the house. “No reason for you to stand out in the cold when he’s already expecting ya.” He unlocked the door to a side entrance that lead directly into an office, but didn’t follow him inside. Sam was working after all. Still, Aaron could have used a distraction. It felt weird being back inside the house. He couldn’t help but think of the first time he’d been there, when he was acting as an accomplice to theft.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Robert made an appearance. The blond man was coming down the stairs, but he slowed when Aaron stepped forward. He looked a bit surprised to see him.

“Oh, Sam let me in,” Aaron said, wondering if Robert hadn’t seen his text. “I’m here on business,” he added, so the older man would know he wasn’t getting clingy and weird. He wished now that Sam hadn’t let him in.

“Go on then,” Robert said, walking past Aaron toward the door that presumably lead further into the house. The blond man was looking especially good today, dressed head to toe in black, with his blond hair gleaming. Aaron trailed behind him, feeling awkward.

“Ok, er… Adam’s up for meeting up. Cracking on with buying these cars.” He watched as Robert peaked out of the door leading into the house, checking to make sure no one was there before he closed it. Aaron was a bit confused by that. He hardly thought a discussion about car auctions warranted such secrecy.

“What, and you couldn’t have texted me that?” Robert asked, when he turned back toward Aaron and walked past him again.

“We’re going to have to see each other sometime,” Aaron told him with a shrug. They were in business together, talking about business. It was entirely on the up and up.

“You obviously don’t get what I said to you yesterday,” Robert said, rubbing his eyes like he was tired of having to deal with such an idiot. There was no call for the tone, and Aaron found himself getting irritated. If Robert kept treating their every meeting like a big deal, then of course they were going to get caught! Acting guilty for meeting with a lad from the village over legitimate business was going to get noticed by Chrissie eventually.

“I just think you’re being paranoid for no reason! Sam didn’t bat an eyelid.”

“Yeah, well I’m not risking it alright?” Robert said, glaring at him as he stood there with his hands on his hips.

“Everyone’s going to think it’s all in Katie’s head unless we start blanking each other, which she’d think was weird!”

“Are you that incapable of being patient?” That made him stop short, speechless. That wasn’t the point. He could wait it out, there just wasn’t any need to! Robert was panicking for no reason. The blond man turned away, walking toward the outer door. “I’ll let you know when the situation changes,” he said as he pulled the door open.

“What, is that it?” Aaron asked,

“It’s the best option I’ve got right now, yeah,” Robert said, holding the door open. The gesture was clear. Aaron felt a horrible combination of humiliation and anger at the unfairness of this. He knew it would just make matters worse if he tried to get Robert to see reason, so he left quietly. The sound of the door clicking shut behind him was as good as a punch in the gut.

*****

He met Adam at the pub that afternoon, as planned. There was an open space at the bar between where Adam sat and Chas stood. “Hey, love,” she said. When Aaron eased in between them, his mum rested her hand on his back, and then rubbed his arm comfortingly. “I’m afraid it’s back to the drawing board. Apparently you can’t be a taxi driver unless you’re squeaky clean.”

Aaron whipped around to look at Adam for confirmation. His mate looked depressed as he leaned on the bar, mouthing the cardboard coaster he was holding in his hand. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Sod them! Who wants to drive around a load of bladdered students anyway?” He said it dismissively, but he was clearly bothered. Aaron didn’t get much of a chance to discuss it further with Adam. His mate had to get back to the farm with James. As Aaron lingered over his pint, he worried about his friend. Adam didn’t deal well with disappointment; he had a tendency to lose hope, and start making reckless decisions. It’s what lead to him getting locked up, as well as mixing with Ross and his mess.

As he sat at the bar, he could hear Katie commenting on the flashy dress Alicia had chosen to wear as she served drinks, and wondering who she’d worn it for. “I saw her thrusting her cleavage at Robert before! What if it’s her he’s texting?”

“She does it to everyone! She’s a barmaid!” Chas protested. “And besides, she loves David loads. I can give you dozens of reasons why you are wrong.”

Not wanting to hear anything more about Robert, Aaron left to grab lunch at the cafe. It was just his luck that Robert was there with Chrissie and Lachlan, having a family outing. He put in an order and glanced over his shoulder, thinking the older man looked annoyed to see him. He was probably still irritated that Aaron had gone to see him at Home Farm.

He heard footsteps just behind him, and then the man himself was there next to him to tell Aaron off for looking shifty, of all things. It was more than unfair. He had simply walked in. It was Robert who couldn’t seem to get it together. He was only going to draw attention their way if he continued acting strange around Aaron. It was incredibly frustrating, but he still gave Robert the heads up that rumors were spreading about him and Alicia. He couldn’t help making a dig at Robert after he gave him the warning, saying “You’ll have to put them straight, now won’t you. Save your reputation.”

“Yeah,” Robert responded, for all the world like he thought Aaron actually gave a toss about his reputation. “Or not,” Robert added. For an insane second, Aaron thought Robert meant he had decided he didn’t care what people said anymore. For an even crazier moment, Aaron thought he meant he was going to come out or something.

Aaron had turned to look at him in his brief moment of shock. “How do you mean?” he finally asked, but by then he’d come to his senses. This was Robert after all. He hardly expected the older man to have an epiphany and change up his life.

“That nosy little stable girl has just given us a gift horse,” Robert whispered to him as he looked at Aaron and grinned. He couldn’t very well take the time to explain the plan to Aaron, not with his fiancee and her son waiting on him. Besides, Bob had returned from the back with Aaron’s plate, leaving him with no reason to continue standing there. Aaron found a seat as far away from Robert as he could, since in general the older man seemed to lose it when Aaron got within eyesight of Chrissie.

All in all, his day had not gone well. The taxi firm was a bust, Cain had been a terror to work with all week, and Robert was being a pillock. So it was actually the highlight of his day when he bumped into Adam outside of the pub’s kitchen. His mate was holding a ridiculously fluffy puppy, that he had bought for Vic. “Well that didn’t work, did it!” Adam laughed cradling the docile pup. “I suppose she’s right, though. She’s got too much on.”

Aaron saw the way Adam was looking at the white and tan puppy and was quick to say, “Yeah, and so have you. And we’re not keeping it, before you ask.”

His mate knew better than most that Aaron had a soft spot for dogs. Adam held the fuzzy thing up beside his face and gave Aaron his best attempt at puppy eyes. “Aaron, look at this gorgeous little face!”

He would never admit it, but the sight of the curly haired puppy made him feel all soft inside. Aaron pulled a face and said, “It’s a shame Vic don’t look at you like that.”

“Why do you have to- well, she wanted proof and she got it!” Aaron could only guess he meant that Vic had wanted proof that Adam cared for her, and getting her a dog was his bizarre way of showing her he did.

Aaron’s eyes were irresistibly drawn down to the puppy sitting patiently in Adam’s arms. Unable to deny himself a moment longer, Aaron reached out to grab the dog. When he spoke, he tried to keep his voice suitably gruff. “Give her here.” Adam adjusted his grip on the dog so Aaron could grab her under her little arms and lift her.

As the warm weight of the puppy settled against his chest, Aaron told Adam, “Next time, just keep it simple. Ask her out. Sh,” Aaron soothed the pup, unconsciously lowering his face so he was practically nose to nose with her. Realizing Adam was smirking at him, Aaron straightened so that it didn’t look like quite so much like his heart was melting. “Or I’ll do it for you,” Aaron joked, turning away.

He had no idea where Adam had gotten the dog in the first place, but he figured he could drop her off with Paddy. On his way to the vet, he let his fingers bury themselves in the puppy’s silky fur. He could almost feel all his worries drifting away as he cuddled the pup.

 

9 January 2015

Cain found him working at the garage the next morning. His uncle had been in a right mood for that past couple of weeks, so Aaron wasn’t particularly happy to see him. They’d had words a few days ago, and the strain was made all the worse by Dan being sent home on warning for failing to fix the brakes on Debbie’s car.

“Have you not finished this one yet?” Cain asked as Aaron was bent over the engine of a car.

Straightening up, Aaron said, “No, I’m checking the tension. You’re watching a craftsman at work here, mate, not some grease monkey. Speaking of grease monkeys, where is Ross?” Aaron still couldn’t believe that Cain and Debbie would rather have Ross mucking about the garage instead of Dan. The man had messed up once! Ross was a liability all the time.

“He had a call out,” Cain said. They were interrupted by Dan coming in. Cain immediately flew into a tempter. “Right, if you’re after more money, you can forget it!”

“No, it’s definitely not that,” Dan said. “Is Debs about?”

“Yeah, we’re playing hide and seek! Why?”

“I suppose you’ll find out soon enough. She’s, er, given me my old job back.”

“So does this mean Ross is out now?” Aaron asked eagerly, raising his eyebrows in question as he looked at Cain.

“Why are you asking me?” his uncle said crossly before walking out. Aaron didn’t let his bad mood bother him, grinning as Cain left.

“Brew?” Dan asked, falling easily into their old pattern of grabbing coffee for one another.

Once Dan got back from his coffee run, the work went much more quickly. Aaron was able to skip out in time to help Adam remove a broken boiler from Vic’s place. It wasn’t what he liked to do with his spare time, but he knew his mate was trying his hardest to impress her.

They struggled with the heavy thing, Adam leading the way with Aaron carrying the tail end. It was slow going, lugging that thing to the van they had waiting. They were bantering and laughing like idiots, and then Aaron felt the boiler bobble unsteadily on Adam’s end. “Oh, watch out!” Adam called as he lost his grip.

“Adam!” Aaron hissed, as the entire thing fell, narrowly missing his toes. He pulled back, fingers smarting from briefly trying to hold the entire weight of the thing when Adam dropped his end.

“Ah! Sorry! It’s heavier than it looks, this!”

They both bent down to position their grips again, and lifted at the same time. “You won’t get as much for it, now it’s dented,” Aaron told him.

“Haha, you’re quite funny, you!” Adam said, still in a good mood. Aaron was too, despite nearly having his toes broken. “You know, is there anyone around here that doesn’t take me for an idiot?”

“Er… no,” Aaron said, pretending to think about it. “I’m sure Victoria will be grateful,” he reassured Adam as they started navigating their way down the stone steps of the walkway.

“Already way ahead of you, mate! You just help me with all the hard work, and I take all the credit. Little did you know, eh?” Adam told him, amusement clear in his voice.

“Remind me why I’m helping you with this, actually?”

“Because you’re my best mate and my business partner,” he answered readily. “Well, if we still have a business, that is.”

“Tell you what though, there’ll be copper in this, you know,” Aaron said, eyeing the boiler.

“You know, you could be onto something,” Adam said. They made the drive into Hotten to get rid of the bloody thing, and then came back and found their way to the Woolie’s kitchen so Adam could show off in front of Vic.

Aaron hung back and watched as his mate handed Vic the money they had gotten from the junked boiler. “What’s this?” she asked.

“That’s all the money I got for half an hour’s work, dropping your worthless boiler off at the scrapyard,” Adam bragged.

“Well, it’s the money that we,” Aaron emphasized, “got.”

“I wanted you to have it,” Adam offered generously, while Aaron stood behind him rolling his eyes exasperatedly. “Because you have a lot of expense with the new boiler and everything.”

“Oh! Well I figured you’d keep it. You know, for your time and expense. And Aaron's!”

“Yes, so did I, actually,” Aaron told her.

Adam gave a pleased laugh, glancing back at Aaron as he said, “There’s plenty more where that came from, trust me.” Aaron wanted to slap him behind the head. All this for a girl! What a muppet. There was a lot that was wrong about what he was doing with Robert, but at least he’d never gotten like this over him! “You know when you were dropping the boiler off?” Adam asked him. “I was having a word with the yard manager.”

“Yeah I know, I saw you. Swanning off, just chatting!”

“Networking, mate. Big difference! He was showing me all the prices for different kinds of scrap. Easy money, mate! Low outlay; all we need is a van, some tools, and a place of our own.”

“Yeah, but you and me- scrappers?” Aaron asked with a disbelieving laugh.

“No, you and me minted, mate,” Adam told him, slapping him on the chest with the back of his hand.

“I think that’s a genius idea,” Vic said encouragingly from over Adam’s shoulder as his mate smiled excitedly.

“I’ll get the beers and we’ll talk, eh?” Aaron said while Adam looked after Victoria as she walked away. Seeing that Adam’s attention was still on her backside, Aaron nudged him to get his attention. Adam was wearing a goofy little smile when he turned to look at him. “Ask her out,” he whispered. He gave Adam a bracing clap on the arm and left him to it.

He went on through to the pub and snagged himself a pint at the bar while Chas’ attention was riveted on a mini drama unfolding in front of them all.

Robert stood from where he had been sitting with Chrissie. “You know what, Katie? Why don’t me and Alicia show you exactly what we’ve been up to? I know you all have a low opinion of me, but this is the real reason why Alicia and I were together,” Robert told the entire room. Aaron smirked as he put his phone aside and took a sip from his pint. The older man sounded almost theatrical to Aaron, like he was about to put on a big show. Yet when he glanced at the other man’s fiancee, she appeared to be none the wiser, watching Robert with an expectant look on her face.

Robert pulled a bright blue bundle of cloth out of his jacket pocket and handed it to David. “Here you go, mate.” Aaron spotted Alicia grinning excitedly, giving her husband an encouraging look as he grabbed the cloth from Robert and looked at her questioningly. They all watched as David unfolded it to reveal a perfectly harmless uniform jersey. Katie rolled her eyes and pouted as her theory about Robert and Alicia was dashed. “I wanted it to be a surprise,” Robert said. Aaron thought he was laying it on a bit thick when he grinned at David, but everyone else except Katie seemed to be falling for the act.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s amazing!” David said as he held it up in his hands.

“You and your runaway imagination,” Chas said, shaking her head at Katie, quickly turning on her friend. Katie glared at her, seeing what Chas was doing. That was what mates were for- to gossip with, and then point the finger at you when it came time to blame someone. Chas sighed and said to Robert, “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten carried away with it all. Apologies are in order.” She glanced over at Alicia. “To you too, I know.”

Robert went to stand next to Chrissie. She had gotten up at some point during the big reveal to stand at the bar. “I’m really, really sorry about all this,” Robert told her, rubbing her back.

“Oh,” Chrissie dismissed his apology with a reassuring wave. When she lowered her hand to the bar again, Aaron saw she made sure it landed on Robert’s. The blond man was standing so close to her side and just behind her, so that the entire line of their bodies met. Their body language was almost possessive toward one another, as if both of them were trying to lay claim over the other. “I never doubted you for a second. Apologies accepted. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got a meeting to go to,” Chrissie said, finally breaking contact with Robert as she moved away from the bar.

“Well you can get me a drink,” Alicia told Chas. “A large one!”

“You’ll have to get it yourself,” Chas said distractedly as she looked at her phone. Aaron watched her, wondering what was up. “I’ve got to go.”

“Not again! You did this yesterday, and you were gone ages!”

“Sorry, it’s Moira! Cain’s in hospital!”

Aaron watched worriedly as his mother turned to go through the back. He caught her eye, but she just shook her head at him. He hated to stay put, but surely she’d say something if it was bad?

“That certainly puts things into perspective, doesn’t it,” Robert said, directing his comment at Katie. Aaron wished he’d just shut up now.

Andy tried to get Katie to leave with him, but she was intent on getting to Robert. “Hang on! I’ve just got one more thing I need to clear up with Robert. If Alicia isn’t the A in your contacts, then who is? You know this A you were texting the other day, asking to kiss and make up?”

For a moment it looked like Robert wanted to reach out and slap her for not just letting it go already. “You really want to know?” Robert asked. Aaron sat up nervously as the blond man took out his phone and dialed. David, Alicia, and Andy watched in awkward silence, while Katie sat there smugly. All eyes turned to Aaron when his phone started ringing. He didn’t answer it immediately, struggling over his annoyance at being used like some kind of prop in the play that was Robert’s life. He picked up his phone from the bar and silenced the call, and wished he had a button right now that would make Robert shut up that fast.

“We had a row over business. I was winding him up. It’s what I do, apparently,” Robert said, tucking his own phone back into the front pocket of his suit jacket.

Aaron still felt thrown, with Cain being in hospital and all, but he did his best to bring this situation to an end. “Look, if- if I’d have known it would cause all this grief, with you lot obsessing over some text, I’d have said something sooner.” Aaron caught Robert looking over at him, and he said his next words looking directly into those green-blue eyes. “It’s just his lame way of apologizing.”

Robert looked away, clearly getting that Aaron didn’t like being forced to lie in front of everyone. “The only thing I’m guilty of is homophobia,” he announced to Andy and Katie. Then he turned back to Aaron, looked him in the eyes, and said, “I’m sorry, mate. It was out of order.”

“Yeah, well I’ve heard worse,” he said, accepting the real apology hidden underneath the truly irritating act Robert was putting on. He’d make him pay for it all later.

Katie and Andy didn’t stick around after that. Aaron gave Robert a nod and headed for the toilets. He quickly checked for other occupants, but he was alone until Robert came in after him. “So you were pretty sure I wouldn’t drop you in it,” Aaron said as the blond man came to stand close. He caught hints of that masculine perfume that Robert liked to wear. Aaron settled back against the wall, feeling his heartbeat quicken at they way the older man stood so near, but didn’t close the distance between them.

“Well, you don’t need the hassle either,” he said, never breaking eye contact. It was amazing how different Robert was when he wasn’t panicked over possibly being caught. “At least that will be Katie off our backs. For now. So,” Robert said, eyes now roving over Aaron’s body as he nodded in agreement. “Back to business as usual?”

Aaron took a deep breath, relaxing against the wall and enjoying the tension between them. “Just business?” He couldn’t help smirking as Robert smiled at that.

“You know the score.” They shared a look, both of them aware that sometime soon the two of them would slip away from their separate lives and come together in secret.

Aaron watched Robert leave, hanging back because he knew it would look weird for them to step out together. It felt no better to be left loitering in the toilets than it had felt to be abandoned to clean up cum spattered blankets at the barn. But as alone as he felt when Robert closed the door behind him, Aaron couldn’t help the heat and excitement that coursed through his veins.

 

12 January 2015

Whatever plans he may have wanted to make with Robert were set aside in light of the news Aaron had gotten about his uncle. Cain had an aneurysm, and he had apparently been ignoring the symptoms for weeks. He’d need to undergo surgery.

Aaron was enough of a wreck as it was, given the situation. It only added to his stress that Debs had taken time off to keep her father company, and she’d left Aaron in charge of the garage. If it was just a matter of fixing the cars, he’d do the extra work without complaint. It was handling the clients that really added to his stress. Having to call in Ross to help at the garage was a piece of cake in comparison to trying to hold his temper with every angry twat who thought they knew more about cars than he did.

On Monday, before the garage opened, Aaron met with Ross at the cafe. They were drinking coffee when Robert came in. Aaron was more than a bit surprised when the older man nodded at him, acknowledging him in public. “You alright,” he said in passing, with only half a glance at Ross. It was clear he’d been talking primarily to Aaron. He looked away as he rubbed his forehead with some irritation when he noticed that Ross had turned in his seat to gawk at Robert, clearly wondering when they had gotten so cozy with each other.

“Go and open up for us, will ya?” Aaron said, handing Ross the keys so that he wouldn’t ask any questions.

“Don’t get any ideas. It’s only temporary,” Ross told him, clearly not into the idea of Aaron giving him orders.

“Just do it,” Aaron muttered, fed up. Of all days, this was the one Robert chose to act like they were friends?

Aaron quickly finished up his coffee, and had just stood to put on his jacket when Robert walked up to him. “Oi, how’s Cain?” he asked, as casually as if he was asking after the weather.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m free for lunch if you, er, want a distraction.”

Aaron stared at him, unprepared for the inappropriate timing of the offer. “My uncle’s at death’s door. Maybe not today, yeah?” He walked out of the cafe, not waiting for Robert to say anything more. He especially didn’t want to hear it if it wasn’t an apology, and with the older man always blowing hot then cold, Aaron just couldn’t guess if this was going to be one of the days that he acted like a tyrant prince of Home Farm, or like a real human being.

The extra work at the garage kept Aaron busy all morning, but he took the time to head over to the pub for his lunch. He figured if anyone in the Dingle family heard aught about Cain, they’d come to the Woolie with news. He was both relieved and frustrated when no one did- no news was good news, but he hadn’t gotten an update on his uncle’s situation since yesterday evening and it was eating at him.

Robert put in an appearance just as Aaron was considering leaving. “Same again?” Robert offered, gesturing with a hand at Aaron’s glass.

“No.”

“I need to talk to you. Vic told me about the new business plan.”

Aaron got to his feet, in no mood to discuss business. “Some other time.” He walked around the bar to go through to the back, Robert hot on his heels. He might have chosen to go to his bedroom for a moment to gather himself before getting back to the garage, but he didn’t want to give Robert the wrong impression. Aaron took a seat at the kitchen table and watched with some chagrin as the older man made himself at home and put on the tea kettle. “Just do one,” he finally said, fed up.

Robert set the kettle down noisily. “Don’t be like that. Come on, is there any news about him? Cain?” he demanded, his tone making it clear that he didn’t want to be put off again.

“What’s it to you?”

“I know what it’s like to lose someone you care about.”

“So now you think he’s going to die?”

Robert ignored that, seeming to recognize it as Aaron’s attempt to avoid questions he didn’t want to think about. “Chrissie’s aunt had an aneurysm. They stuck a tube up a vein in her groin and she was right as rain.” Aaron gave him a look, not buying it. Robert grabbed up the two cups of tea he had prepared and brought them over to the table. “Seriously! That’s what they do. It’s easy for us blokes because our brains are in our pants.”

Aaron leaned forward, clasping his hands tightly together as he braced his elbows on his knees. The other man took the seat across from him and waited. “It’s just- she’s definitely alright though, yeah? This aunt?”

“On her sixty fifth birthday last year she went abseiling! Stop thinking the worst about it.” Aaron nodded, and then met Robert’s eyes for a split second before looking down again. Robert had just given him the first bit of hope he’d felt since hearing Cain had to go into surgery.

Aaron shook his head, and said, “Yeah, I know, I- I just can’t…”

“What?”

Aaron took a deep breath and tried to get control over himself. “You know, if he… It’d break mum’s heart,” he said, getting to his feet in a rush. The last thing he wanted to do was cry in front of Robert. Aaron tried to walk away, but he had to brush past Robert to get anywhere. The other man grabbed his wrist and got to his feet, pulling Aaron to a stop.

“Come here,” Robert said, using his grip on Aaron’s wrist to tug him close. He half expected the older man to try and snog him. The only time he was ever this close to Robert was when they were about to rip each others clothes off.

Aaron froze in shock as Robert wrapped his arms around him and held him tight.

He stood there with his arms held up, not knowing what to do with them for a second. When Robert just snuggled in closer, resting his face alongside his, Aaron finally hugged him back. His arms curved under the taller man’s so that his hands could climb the blond’s back and clench the black fabric of Robert’s suit jacket in his fists. This felt unreal. Still shocked, Aaron rested his chin against Robert’s shoulder and breathed in the expensive perfume Robert always wore lightly. The hug was unexpected, and maybe a bit awkward at first, but he found himself relaxing into it when the blond didn’t immediately end the embrace.

If ever there was a sign that it wasn’t just about the sex anymore for Robert either, surely it was this?

 

13 January 2015

“Yes, lad!” Adam called out to him when he walked into the cafe the next day and found him and Victoria kissing. “Sit down and have some cake.”

“I don’t want cake, it’s the morning!” His words had the unintended effect of setting them off, and they were cooing and making eyes at each other. It was almost enough to make a bloke sick. He slouched in the armchair across from them and looked at the ceiling. “So,” he said, trying to get Adam’s attention. “Any word about Cain?” Adam had been his best source of information so far, since his mum was married to Aaron’s uncle. He hadn’t had much of a chance to see his own mum lately. She had been camping out at hospital, and he’d been working long hours at the garage so he’d missed her every time she came home.

“No, I’ve not spoke to me mum. Oh! I did last night though. We can’t keep the scrap at the farm.”

“You what? Why?” Aaron asked quickly, sitting up in his armchair.

“Because we’re not a-”

“You alright?” Robert called as he walked in. It was almost deja vu from yesterday morning. Once again, the blond’s attention seemed to be largely on him as he walked past on his way to the counter.

Adam jabbed a thumb in Vic’s direction. “You know she told him we’re not doing the taxi firm?”

“Yeah, he mentioned something,” Aaron said dismissively, remembering how Robert had originally sought him out yesterday to talk business. “Hang on a minute! What’s this about the farm?”

“Because of all the animals and whatnot,” Adam explained. Aaron heard him out as he talked about not wanting to push Moira on this, but his mind was busy with other things. Namely Robert. It had suddenly occurred to Aaron that if he and Adam screwed this up, it was very likely the older man would be upset. He might even be angry enough to end it between them.

It didn’t help his peace of mind at all when Robert came to join them. He had apparently just transferred the ten grand to them, making it all official. Adam was thrilled, but Aaron couldn’t escape the feeling that the money transfer was a noose around his neck. One slip up, and he’d be hanging.

Aaron didn’t hear a word Adam said to Robert in thanks. When he saw Vic get up to go to work, he did the same. “Hey, you’ve only just got here!” Adam protested as Aaron made for the door.

“Yeah, well spotted,” Aaron said, avoiding looking at Robert.

“Where are you going?” Adam asked, confused.

“To mind my own business.” He was out the door and off to the garage before Adam could call him out on his bad mood.

There was so much paperwork for him to fill out at the garage that he was able to put off thinking about the scrap yard until he broke for lunch. He got a text from Robert right after he’d finished eating. “Is everything okay? Let’s talk.”

Sighing, Aaron put his phone back in his pocket and made for Home Farm. He didn’t make the same mistake of going inside again. This time he waited for Robert to come outside to meet him. “You alright?”

“We’re backing out of the business. I don’t know anything about scrap,” Aaron told him, deciding to treat it like a bandage that needed to be pulled off. A direct approach was best.

“I don’t think it’s all that complicated,” Robert said slowly, clearly not expecting this.

“It’s already complicated. We’ve lost the site; we can’t use the farm.”

“So, we’ll find somewhere else,” he said easily.

“And what if it goes wrong?” Aaron asked after a moment, still worried.

“Then I say… bye-bye money,” Robert said with a big shrug.

“Then you say bye-bye us,” Aaron corrected, kicking at the large pieces of rock gravel under his shoes. “You’re not supposed to do business with…” Robert was staring at him, and Aaron couldn’t help but feel that his expression was too knowing and too amused. “People you…”

“What?” Robert encouraged, taking a step closer as a little smile quirked up one side of his mouth.

With people you love. Aaron took a breath and tried to cover what he’d just almost admitted. “It’s going to get in the way.”

“It won’t,” Robert reassured him. His tone was at least serious now, rather than amused. It seemed he was going to give Aaron a pass after he’d almost admitted his deeper feelings to the man.

“I just can’t stand here and promise you it won’t fail.”

“Well then, I’m glad I only put in what I could afford to throw away,” Robert said, meeting his eyes.

Aaron looked down as he scuffed his shoes against the gravel. “You say that now.”

“Hey, don’t get cold feet. You’ll make me think I fell for a quitter.”

It took a moment to register what Robert was saying. When he did, Aaron’s eyes darted back toward Robert’s. The amused smile reappeared on Robert’s face. “Good meeting,” he said before he turned and walked back inside.

Aaron was left there, pursing his lips as he thought over Robert’s words. He could hardly hold back a smile.

 

14 January 2015

He was in a good mood when he went in search of Adam the next day and found him sitting in the cafe. Aaron pointed at himself as he said, “You’ll never guess what I’ve just done!”

“Walked through a door?” Adam guessed as Aaron took a seat across from him.

“No!” he grinned, slapping his knees with his hands in excitement. “I’ve found us a site at my Uncle Zak’s”

“Good! Hang on, does he know about this?”

“Yeah, I’ve just phoned him. Cain’s alright, by the way,” he added. The two things he’d been most worried about yesterday had been fixed.

“Yeah I know, my mum just texted me. Alright, well come on. Let’s have a look!” Adam said, grabbing up his coffee cup and half of the breakfast sandwich he’d bought himself.

“Sound,” Aaron said, picking up the other half and taking a bite.

It was funny how big a difference a single day could make. He and Robert were back on solid ground, Cain was recovering after surgery, Zak was letting them use a portion of his land for the scrapyard… He just hoped nothing would crop up and wreck it all.

 

19 January 2015

The yard was already starting to fill with scrap, but they still needed a van and a place to do paperwork. The second issue was soon to be resolved. They were waiting on their new portakabin to be delivered.

Paddy drove up, got out of his car, and came to join him and Adam while they waited. “Where are they then? These swanky new premises?”

“The delivery boy’s running late,” Adam answered.

“Right,” Paddy said, nodding his head. “You sure Zak and Lisa haven’t changed their minds about you setting up in the yard?”

“I’m sure they’ve got enough to worry about, don’t you?” Aaron asked. He’d already told Paddy the news he’d heard about Belle. The poor girl was having some kind of mental breakdown. Her situation was the only thing he could wish was different right now.

Adam tripping over some scrap restored the humor, but Aaron ended up having to chase Paddy off when he started to make fun. As Paddy walked back to his car, Robert pulled up to where Aaron stood. He looked good sitting behind the wheel of his Audi. It combined two of Aaron’s favorite things- Robert and cars. “They’re not here yet,” Aaron told him, keeping it casual since Adam was nearby.

“Yeah, because I’ve come to see a portakabin,” the blond said sarcastically. Aaron gave a small laugh and looked over to where Adam was moving a piece of scrap. He was thankfully lugging it further away from where Aaron stood with Robert- further away from hearing distance. “I’ve got an overnight in Leeds later. A business thing. I thought we could meet up.”

“Not sure I like being called a business,” Aaron joked as he kicked at a rock.

“Right, well whilst you think about it, I’ll book us a hotel room.” He certainly was a confident bastard, wasn’t he.

“I suppose so. Yeah,” Aaron said, trying not to smile.

“Good,” Robert said, eyes giving him a once over as he reached for the key in the ignition. The Audi started with a rumble, and he sped off.

*****

The portakabin did eventually arrive. Aaron sent off a text to Robert because he was the investor, even if he claimed not to give a toss about the portakabin. He also sent a text to Paddy, because he knew the man would want to come and take a look. Not that Paddy had any more interest in a portakabin than did Robert, but Aaron knew he’d want to be there anyway. The man was like a father to him, and he had been proud to hear that Aaron was going into business with Adam.

The first thing Aaron and Adam did once the delivery men left was set up a table inside to hold everything they’d need to make tea. They had just made a brew when Paddy arrived. “Look at this!” He looked around at the empty space. “It’s somewhat drafty with a funny smell.”

“Well yeah, it’s a scrapyard not a hairdresser’s,” Aaron said before taking a sip of his tea.

“No, I’m only joking,” Paddy said as he leaned against the wall opposite Aaron and Adam. “I’m chuffed for ya! And that smell might fade.”

“I doubt it- that’s Aaron!” Adam said, reaching over to give him a pinch in the side. Aaron grunted, then laughed along with Adam and Paddy as he squirmed further away from his mate.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun in here, isn’t it, with you two working together all day long!”

Adam and Aaron were both laughing at that when the door opened and Robert came in. “Hey, look who it is!” Adam called loudly, grinning wide. “Someone else whose day hasn’t gotten any busier!”

Aaron laughed again as he passed by Robert to go stand next to Paddy. The blond man looked over at the vet and gave him a nod. “I thought I’d come and see how you’re spending my investment!”

“I hope you’re not too disappointed,” Paddy said, elbowing Aaron gently in the side as he drew near.

“Ah, funny, Paddy, really funny,” Adam said. “Alright, let’s finish clearing up outside. I told that guy in Newcastle that we’d be there by nine tomorrow, so don’t be late.”

Robert had been looking at Adam, but at that Aaron saw the blond’s head turn to look at him. It was clear to see by his expression that this was an unpleasant surprise to him, given that he’d probably already booked a room for them in Leeds. Aaron was quick to speak up, mostly because he didn’t want Paddy to read into the look Robert was giving Aaron. “We don’t both have to go though, do we? But- It’s just I’ve organized a meeting with a bloke from the council in the morning, to talk about planning commissions and stuff.”

He’d pulled that excuse from out of his arse, and he could tell from the smile on Robert’s face that the older man knew it. “Alright, whatever,” Adam said dismissively.

“Oh, planning permissions and council meetings!” Paddy laughed proudly, turning to Aaron and tickling his side. Aaron laughed, huddling in an effort to protect his side from further tickling. “It suits you!”

“Yeah it does,” Robert agreed. His tone was too serious coming after the excitement in Paddy’s manner. Robert seemed to realize he’d managed to draw attention to himself. “I mean, whatever gives me a good return on my investment. Right. Er, I’ll see you later then,” Robert said, nodding at Aaron. The look on his face was flirtatious, and once again Aaron worried that Paddy might see too much.

The blond man let himself out, and once he was out of the way, Aaron had a clear view of Adam. His mate had a thoughtful look on his face, like he was wondering what that had been about. If either Adam or Paddy cottoned on to what was happening between Aaron and Robert, it’d be Robert’s fault. For a man who’d put them on hold because he was paranoid that they would be found out, he was being pretty obvious now.

Not that Aaron minded. He wasn’t the one who stood to lose anything. In fact, Aaron stood to gain. If they were found out, they wouldn’t have to book hotel rooms in other cities in order to get some alone time together without risk of being interrupted.

*****

It had been a few days since they had last been together, and Aaron was impatient for that evening to arrive. They drove separately to the hotel in Leeds, since Robert did actually have work to do while he was there. The hotel was fancier than Aaron had expected, and he felt a bit out of place in his hoodie and jeans. Still, he didn’t get any hassle at the front desk when he picked up his room key.

Robert hadn’t arrived yet when he got to the room, so Aaron placed his overnight back on top of the dresser and pulled out a bottle of lube and some condoms. These he placed in the drawer of the bedside table before he turned on the telly, kicked off his shoes, and laid on the bed, not bothering to get under the covers. There was nothing he really wanted to watch, so it wasn’t long before he nodded off in the middle of an uninteresting program.

It was eager kisses being pressed to his lips that woke him. That, and the feel of hands tugging at his belt. Opening his eyes, he found Robert on the bed next to him, completely starkers as he rested his weight on one elbow and worked on Aaron’s belt buckle with his free hand. Seeing him awake, Robert stopped kissing him and smiled as he looked down at him. “Glad you could join me, Sleeping Beauty.”

“I doubt Sleeping Beauty ever woke up to find her prince already naked and good to go,” Aaron said with a smile. Robert always looked good in his suits, but Aaron preferred him nude. The blond man always seemed more relaxed and accessible once he was out of his clothes.

“She only wished she was so lucky,” Robert laughed, unzipping Aaron’s fly.

“I’ll bet,” he agreed. Aaron rolled them over, trapping a very naked Robert underneath him. He pressed his lips to Roberts, enjoying the feel of the older man responding, parting his mouth so that Aaron could taste him. He pulled away so he could unzip his hoodie and shrug it off, then pull his black shirt over his head. As he lifted his arms, he felt Robert’s hands slide up his abs to skim over his pecs.

“You must do sit-ups every day,” Robert murmured as Aaron pulled the shirt up off his head and dropped it to the side. When he lowered his arms, Robert ran his hands down Aaron’s biceps. “Push-ups too.”

“No, I just work for a living,” Aaron quipped. Robert smiled at that, but his pupils were blown wide with arousal so that only the slimmest circle of blue-green was visible. His smile quickly faded as he looked up at Aaron, breath coming quick.

Seeing him so affected made Aaron groan and lower his mouth to Robert’s for another kiss before he worked his way down. Robert’s response was immediate when Aaron took one of his nipples into his mouth. He bucked up against Aaron, gasping as the younger man teased the tip with his tongue. Aaron loved that he was so sensitive there, and he took his time exploring both small, pink circles.

“Aaron, please!” Robert finally cried out, writhing on the mattress. Aaron rose and mashed his lips against Robert’s, biting at his lips until they parted. The kiss was wet, sloppy, and exactly what Aaron wanted. “Please,” Robert moaned when they parted for air. Aaron ran his right palm along Robert’s side, down his ribs, against his waist, until he got to his hip. He moved his hand around until he could grip Robert’s ass, fingers digging into the soft skin. “Yes,” Robert breathed.

“What do you want?” Aaron whispered, completely taken with the way the blond had come undone beneath him. Their faces were so close, Aaron could feel every gasping breath the older man took. Robert stared into his eyes as he grasped the hand Aaron had on his backside. Aaron let go of him, and let Robert guide his hand down between his legs.

Aaron was certain Robert was going to put his hand on his cock, but instead the blond guided it lower, and down between his thighs. Aaron brushed his fingers against the soft skin there. His calloused fingertips slid easily along the oiled skin, and suddenly he needed no guidance. He found Robert’s entrance, and it was lubed and loose. “You prepared yourself,” Aaron said. The other man nodded, unable to find his voice as Aaron circled the puckered flesh there with his fingers.

Robert had barely touched him, but suddenly Aaron was completely ready. With a desperate noise, he got to his knees and pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down his hips, but didn't waste time taking them off completely. He reached over to the bedside table drawer, where he’d stashed some lube and condoms earlier. Tearing open the foil, he slid a condom on as quickly as he could, and then he positioned himself between Robert’s legs. The blond eagerly raised his legs to his chest and held them in place with his hands on his thighs.

Trusting that Robert had prepared himself well, Aaron didn’t bother checking. He used one hand to line himself up, and then he was pressing his way inside of Robert. Aaron fought for every inch, working his way in while Robert moaned under him. It was enough to drive him crazy. Robert was hot and tight around him, and it was impossible to pull back, to be careful. Aaron knew he should go slow, be gentle, but he felt like he was on fire.

Once he was deep inside of him, Aaron paused for just a second to look down at Robert. The blond was a beautiful mess, skin glowing with sweat and his hair darkened with it. His eyes were closed, lips parted as he gasped. Aaron laid there with him, feeling so powerful in that moment. How many men and women were out there now who would be only too happy to be here with Robert, like this? But it was Aaron who had somehow lucked out. It was Aaron that got to press inside of him. It was Aaron who Robert allowed to have him; yes, there had been other men, but never like this. He was Robert’s first, in this.

The moment was almost too intense to bear. Crying out, Aaron eased almost completely out before slamming home again. Robert shouted beneath him, wrapping his arms and legs around Aaron. With the blond man clinging to him, Aaron fucked into him as hard and as fast as he could, losing himself in this- in the feel of Robert surrounding him; in the sound of flesh hitting flesh, cries mingling with groans, and his belt buckle clinking with every move.

“Aaron!” Robert shouted, cuming in wet stripes across their chests. He watched as Robert threw his head back, completely lost. Fiery triumph filled him as he felt Robert’s muscles tighten around him, and he buried himself in deep as he came.

He managed to collapse off to the side instead of squishing Robert under him. His muscles were shaking with the effort he’d expended. Aaron could tell from the heaviness of his eyelids and the deep feeling of contentment that he was going to nod off soon. He rested with his body pressed against the length of Robert’s as they both tried to recover. Once his muscles felt less like jelly, Aaron finally managed to push his pants all the way down and kick them off his feet. Robert climbed under the blankets and held it up for Aaron to join him. They laid on their sides, facing each other.

“I don’t know how my arse it going to feel tomorrow, but it was totally worth it,” Robert said, voice coming out hoarse from all the yelling he’d done. Hearing it filled Aaron with a keen sense of satisfaction. Aaron kissed him softly, then leaned his forehead against Robert’s and fell asleep.

He woke in the middle of the night and found that at some point, he and turned over so he was facing away from the other man. Robert’s arm spanned the distance between them, a comforting weight on his shoulder. Aaron peaked over his shoulder at the other man and smiled when he saw Robert’s face relaxed in slumber. For tonight, Aaron set aside his worries about being in love with a man who was engaged to someone else. Tonight, he would just enjoy the closeness they shared. He settled back down and fell into an easy sleep.


	15. I won’t ever cheat on you with another woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feels and mild smut- hope you enjoy!
> 
> Look for Chapter 16 next Sunday.

20 January 2015

When Robert woke, he was alone in bed. For a second he was confused, but when he shifted onto his back his body reminded him of what he’d gotten up to last night. His muscles felt well used: a bit sore, but also relaxed. A part of him wanted to snuggle back into the blankets and enjoy the feeling, but most of him was wondering where Aaron had gotten to. The younger man didn’t seem the type to slip away in the middle of the night.

He spotted Aaron immediately once he opened his eyes. The dark haired man was sitting at the foot of the bed, covered up by a robe as he sipped a cup of coffee. Robert sat up and grabbed his phone, checking the time. It was just after seven, and way too early for Aaron to be getting out of bed. “Do you run on pure caffeine or something?” he mumbled as he started to check his messages.

“No, I just didn’t sleep great.”

“Did I snore?” Robert asked, looking up from his phone. For some reason it bothered him that Aaron hadn’t slept well. Robert himself had slept like a baby.

“No. You did kick me a few times though,” Aaron said over his shoulder.

“Sorry, Chrissie kills me when I do that.”

After a moment, Aaron said, “We’ll have to get a bigger bed next time then, eh?”

“Oh, so this is happening again is it?” Robert asked, amused at the way Aaron had decided for both of them.

“Well, yeah,” Aaron said, finally shifting his seat so that he was looking at Robert. As much as Robert enjoyed the younger man’s backside, he preferred knowing he had all his attention. “If you can get away,” Aaron added. The younger man’s phone went off, and Robert put his own aside as Aaron dug his out of the pocket of the robe. “It’s Adam. He’s done a deal already!”

“See, told you it’d all come good,” Robert told him as he watched Aaron smile.

“Yeah, er… Look, what you said to me about… you know, not giving up?” Aaron asked, seeming to search for words. He glanced at Robert with those blue eyes. “Well, it meant a lot to me.”

“Thanks,” Robert said after a moment, wondering what to say. In all honesty, he’d felt like kicking himself once he’d gone inside after having that conversation with Aaron. Without the sight of dark haired man in front of him, encouraging him to make foolish statements, Robert had been appalled at his own words. He as good as admitted to having feelings for the younger man, which was impossible. Robert was in love with Chrissie. Aaron was just his last bit of fun before getting married.

Uncomfortable with the charged atmosphere Aaron’s gratitude had created, Robert sat up and got to his hands and knees, leaning in toward the other man. “I didn’t get us a late checkout so we could talk about work.”

He watched as Aaron’s blue eyes roamed over his face before the younger man looked away, his face almost vulnerable. “Don’t you have to get back?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to,” Robert murmured. Aaron met his gaze then. “Do you?”

“No,” Aaron said, with a shake of his head.

“Well, looks like you’re just stuck with me then.” Robert leaned forward and captured those bowed lips with his. He waited impatiently as Aaron pulled away briefly to set his coffee cup down on the floor. As soon as it was out of his hands, Robert pulled him back onto the bed. It was a simple thing to wriggle out of his own black briefs, but like always, Aaron was wearing too many clothes. When Robert tore open the robe, he found that the younger man had also put on a white undershirt and black boxer briefs.

As Aaron sat up and worked the robe off his arms, Robert reached down and tugged at the waist of his briefs. The younger man obligingly laid back and lifted his hips so Robert could slide them down his thighs. As he pulled the briefs down Aaron’s legs, the other man finished taking the robe off and chucked it off the bed. He was left in just the undershirt, but Aaron made no move to take it off.

Robert laid down next to him, resting his weight on his right elbow as he pressed his front tight against Aaron’s body. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to those lips. The fingers of his left hand gently whispered along the warm skin of Aaron’s stomach, smoothing over the scars that peeked out from under the hem of the white undershirt. He felt the muscles under that marked flesh tighten. Robert nibbled gently at Aaron’s bearded jaw as he let his hand travel higher, sneaking under the shirt to trace the cuts.

“Will you tell me why?” Robert breathed against Aaron’s cheek, startling himself with the question. He had meant to move away from heavier topics, but instead he’d plowed headlong into another intense conversation. He hid his face in Aaron’s shoulder and nipped at him through the shirt, hoping to distract both of them from the question.

“I did something terrible,” Aaron finally whispered. Robert pulled back and looked at Aaron’s face. He looked conflicted, eyes wet as he bit at his lip and turned his face away. Robert found himself raising his hand from underneath Aaron’s shirt so he could grip his chin and make the younger man look at him.

“Tell me.”

“Jackson. He was my first… everything. I loved him,” Aaron said, tears rolling down from the corners of his eyes as he looked up at Robert. “There was an accident… Anyway, Jackson couldn’t walk after that. He couldn’t do anything anymore. His mum and I took care of him for a while, but he couldn’t stand being helpless.”

“Not many people could,” Robert told Aaron, feeling sympathy for a man he’d never met. He knew Aaron must be leaving out a huge chunk of the story, but Robert still felt honored that the younger man was explaining it at all.

“I guess not,” Aaron agreed. “He just wasn’t himself anymore. He hated his life, and he wished that he’d died in the accident. It became clear that he wasn’t going to-” Aaron swallowed as he choked up, and Robert leaned in to kiss him. He pressed their foreheads together and just waited. They stayed like that for a minute, sharing breathing space.

“Jackson wanted to die?” Robert eventually asked, trying to understand.

“Yeah,” Aaron sighed, his breath warm against Robert’s face. “He convinced his mum to help him. I didn’t agree with it at first. I got her to help me show him there were still things he could do with his life. But I couldn’t reach him anymore. He was already gone.”

“He killed himself?” Robert wondered.

“Yeah, but he couldn’t do it alone. He asked his mum and me to help him.” Robert pulled away so he could look at the younger man. Aaron’s face was closed off, tears gone. He clearly thought Robert was going to turn on him.

“What happened?” he asked, stroking Aaron’s cheek with his fingers, trying to soothe the younger man.

“We helped him take some pills. I thought it was the right thing to do, but afterwards I just felt sick to my stomach. Every time I thought about it, I felt guilt and pain. It went to trial, so everyone knew what I’d done. It was a mess- I was a mess. So I started to cut myself, because it was pain I could control. My mum found out about it and got me some help, and I haven’t done it since. But I still think about Jackson sometimes, and it never gets easier to live with.”

“Aaron,” Robert breathed. He couldn’t imagine what this Jackson must have gone through, or how he must have felt after the accident had left him paralyzed. The agony and despair had to have been too much for him to bear. Robert knew he didn’t have all the facts, but he couldn’t help but feel protective anger that Jackson had apparently been so consumed by his own pain that he’d failed to imagine what the suicide would do to Aaron. It struck Robert as unbelievably selfish to ask Aaron for his help, especially considering how it had affected him afterwards. But he knew that if he said any of that, he’d find himself on the floor with a busted lip, and Aaron would likely refuse to ever speak to him again.

Unable to think of what to say, he leaned in again and kissed him. He meant to keep it gentle, but Aaron responded eagerly, as if the kiss would chase away his pain. Robert gave in easily, tracing his fingers down the length of Aaron’s body until he clasped the younger man’s cock in his hand. He had softened after all the talking, but Robert stroked him until he was hard again. He quickened the pace of his hand until Aaron was gasping, his hips bucking. Robert pulled back so he could watch the younger man fall apart in his arms. He watched Aaron’s face fill with need as his body trembled, and then the younger man was exploding, body thrashing as he spent himself in Robert’s grasp.

“What about you?” Aaron gasped afterwards as Robert laid next to him, his own hardness unabated.

“There’s still plenty of time until checkout,” Robert assured him, holding Aaron close as the younger man recovered. “I expect you to pull out all the stops. May as well make the most of this hotel room while we have it.”

“Don’t you ever get tired?” Aaron asked, sounding pleased.

“Of this?” Robert asked, rubbing himself against the younger man. “Never.”

*****

They left separately, but arrived back in Emmerdale at the same time. Robert was to meet Chrissie at the pub, and when he saw Aaron going through the side entrance, he hurried to catch up with him. “Oh, coming in are ya?” Aaron teased as Robert shut the door behind them.

“Why, am I not allowed?” he joked. 

“Yeah, just didn’t think you’d want to show up together,” the younger man said as he placed his bag on the sofa in the parlor. Robert grinned as he caught at Aaron’s black hoodie and pulled him close. He wanted to kiss him, feel the rasp of scruff against his cheeks, but Aaron reached up to place his hands on Robert’s chest, stopping him from closing the distance between them. “Should we go somewhere else?” Aaron said, smiling.

Robert liked the look of him smiling, but Chrissie was waiting for him. “Yeah, to the bar,” he answered, pulling away. “I’m meeting Chrissie for lunch. It’s best if you hang back a bit.”

“Yeah, no worries,” Aaron said, looking away. He looked a bit upset, but Robert knew he’d understand.

“I’ll call you,” Robert promised, and then walked around Aaron to enter the pub through the door behind the bar. Chrissie was sitting there waiting for him, sipping from a glass of wine. The vivid green sweater she wore looked elegant on her, and Robert smiled when he saw her. Even when she was just sitting on her own, not paying attention, she still managed to have more class than anyone else around her.

She looked up at him as he walked around the bar to meet her. “Hi!” she greeted him, smiling happily. Chrissie reached out and grabbed hold of his leather jacket. “Been hiding in the back?”

“I just popped in to see Diane, but she’s out,” Robert told her, settling in close and wrapping his arms around her small waist.

“Did you have a good trip?” she asked as she brought her hands up to rest on his shoulders. He liked the way she looked up at him, expression full of affection.

“Ugh! Almost fell asleep on one of the reps!”

“Because you were drinking all night in the hotel room.” Her hands ran enticingly down his chest.

“No, because I was losing the will to live! You’re coming with me next time. I won’t take no for an answer,” he told her, falling easily into the flattery that Chrissie always seemed to prefer. Robert could tell by the way she responded eagerly to his flattery that she had missed him. They’d had a few rough patches lately, but he was glad to see that they were on the same page again. He hated when Chrissie was cross with him. She had a big personality, and when she was upset, everyone around her was upset.

Robert kissed her happily and settled down on the seat next to her. When he looked up, he caught Aaron’s annoyed glance. The easiness he’d felt a second ago disappeared, and Robert took his arm from around Chrissie’s shoulders. She glanced at him, but didn’t comment. He had no reason to feel guilty, but he supposed it couldn’t hurt to tone it down a bit.

Giving Aaron a nod, Robert kept his hands to himself while he shared a meal with Chrissie. They would have plenty of time later to say hello properly, once they were in private.

 

22 January 2015

Things with Chrissie and Aaron were going well for Robert right now, but the situation with Katie and Andy was not so straightforward. He was pretty sure that he and Andy were okay, but Katie was like a mean horse with the bit in her mouth. Robert had made her look like a fool over the way she had jumped to conclusions (albeit accurate ones) over his text to Aaron. She had backed down for the moment, but he didn’t think she was finished with him just yet.

Luckily, Chrissie seemed equally fed up with Katie, and was disinclined to do her any favors. The sale on Wylie’s Farm was now in jeopardy for Katie and Andy. If Chrissie chose not to sell, Lawrence would never go against her, even though he was the one to set up the deal in the first place. Chrissie gave Katie the cold shoulder when they entered the pub and found her and Andy sitting at the bar. Robert followed as Chrissie put distance between them and the other couple.

“How much longer are you going to string them along?” Robert asked her, actually quite enjoying her like this. Her brows were raised in a singularly arrogant fashion, and she looked cool as a cucumber in her leather jacket that matched his own.

“You’ve changed your tune,” she commented. True, he had been keen to turn Chrissie against Katie, in the hopes that the enmity would discourage Chrissie from paying any mind to the rumors spread by that tiresome meddler.

“Just sick of the sight of them, that’s all.” In actuality, Robert was trying to play with an eye to the end game. If he wanted things to be alright between him and Andy, and by extension the rest of his family, he had to be above reproach. Even if his brother didn’t end up with Wylie’s Farm, Robert had to come out of this looking like he wasn’t to blame, or Andy would go back to hating him.

“You want to stare lovingly at me instead?” Chrissie offered playfully, grabbing hold of his leather jacket and coming in close.

“Beats having her looking over my shoulder every five seconds!”

“Who knows what she might see,” Chrissie whispered against his lips. Robert smirked as she kissed him. He hoped Katie was watching this.

They ended up taking a seat at a table to avoid having to look at the other couple, but were interrupted by their approach. “Heya,” Katie said as Chrissie looked away, expression cold. Robert couldn’t afford to be as standoffish with Andy, so he turned to look at them expectantly. Katie stood half hidden behind Andy as she spoke. “Look, I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk to right now.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Chrissie drawled coolly. “I don’t want to look at you!”

“We haven’t come to cause any more trouble,” Andy assured them, ever the voice of reason.

“Well, I doubt you could,” Chrissie told him.

“I owe you a massive apology,” Katie said, now that she had Chrissie’s attention.

“Not just me.” It made Robert want to laugh, imagining how little Katie would want to apologize to him. And it made him want to kiss Chrissie, for having his back. This is what he wanted most of all in his marriage to her. When she was on his side, Chrissie was willing to bust any bloke’s balls and pull any bird’s hair to come to Robert’s defence. The trouble was keeping her on his side. Chrissie was often temperamental and suspicious. Recent events had tested their relationship, but if she was standing up for him now, then they were going to be okay after all.

“What can I say? I got it wrong.” It wasn’t exactly an apology, but Robert wasn’t sure how far he could push her without firing Andy up.

“So you’re going to drop this whole… vendetta?” he asked.

“We both just want to get on with our lives,” Andy promised.

“Suits me,” Robert said, letting up. It left Andy staring at him for a moment, and he wondered if he’d made a mistake in letting the issue go too easily.

“Look, we got a survey done, on the farm,” Katie said, breaking the moment. “Just a couple of things we need to run past you.”

“Well I hope you’re not planning on knocking us down!” Chrissie objected.

“No! No, no, we just want to dot a few I’s that’s all,” Katie assured her.

“Fine,” Robert said. “If you’re around later, we can go through it then.”

“If you’re sure, that’s great,” Katie said, but it wasn’t her gratitude he was interested in.

“Thanks,” Andy said, with a surprised look. “We appreciate it.” He held out his hand, and Robert gladly shook it.

“What was that about?” Chrissie whispered as the couple left. Robert could tell she wasn’t pleased. It would have suited her mood to leave them guessing for longer.

“I told you, you’ve got enough on your plate with Lachlan without psycho Barbie stressing you out,” Robert told her.

“And that’s all it is, is it?” she asked. There she went, getting all suspicious again. Robert forced a smile and nodded, deciding it would only make her more suspicious if he acted like the wounded party and demanded to know what she meant by that question.

One thing was for sure- he never had to put up with this amount of mistrust from Aaron! As he sat there, sipping a pint as Chrissie went through a bottle of wine on her own, Robert couldn’t help but wonder what the younger man was up to now. And he wondered when they would next meet up.

*****

Andy and Katie did come by to discuss the survey that night. Chrissie and Robert met with them in the parlor, where they had been having a quiet drink together before the other couple arrived. “Wine?” he offered, already prepared with two glasses for them.

“Yeah, one wouldn’t hurt,” Katie said, so he poured two glasses and handed them to his brother and Katie. “I just had a drink with David too, and I said the same to him as I said to you: I was wrong. Hands up, and it won’t happen again,” she swore. Robert saw her mouth moving, but the words lacked genuine feeling, in his opinion.

“Oh, there’s no need to go over it, but thank you,” Chrissie said, using the polite tone she saved for whenever she had to smooth things over with a client she couldn’t stand.

“Let’s just all move past it, shall we?” Robert said.

“I’ll drink to that,” Andy said, raising his glass.

“Cheers.”

They all raised their glasses, and then Chrissie went straight to business. “So what did your survey say?”

“Well, nothing beyond what we expected, really,” Andy said. “Obviously there’s structural work inside. And one of the two sheds is a bit knackered. We’ll need them both for next winter.”

“Well, we had a survey done. That didn’t come up,” Chrissie said with some concern. Robert knew she was worried his brother would try to take advantage of her money.

“Look we don’t mind if you get it done, or we can do it if you drop the price,” Katie said.

“Oh no, we’ll go talk to my surveyor,” Chrissie said, waving at Andy to come with her.

“What, after six?” he asked.

“With the amount of business he gets from us, he can answer,” she reassured him. “Come on!” Robert watched his fiancee lead his brother out of the parlor to the office. It left him alone with Katie. The atmosphere was tense as Robert took a seat in one of the armchairs and crossed his legs. She sat across from him on a sofa and set her glass down on a side table.

Robert tapped his finger against his own glass for a moment before he thought of just how he wanted to pull her tail. “All this time alone together, people will think we’re having an affair! But that’s nosy folk for you. Seeing things that aren’t there.”

“Well, you did lead me on though, Robert,” she said with a frown. “With Alicia? So it wasn’t nothing, was it?”

“Yeah, to see how far you were going to go,” he told her, wondering if he could convince her to overlook the things he’d said when he lost his temper with her before.

“Yeah, well this time, I’m not rising to it,” she told him, shaking her head and looking away from him in disgust. As ever, her manner rubbed him the wrong way, and he was left wanting to lash out at her. He contained the impulse to say anything further, and took a sip of wine. “And just so you know, I’m still watching you.”

He rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything because he wasn’t sure what the best move to make was. On the one hand, he knew it would be best to pretend innocence until even Katie believed him. On the other, he was sure Katie would never let go of her suspicions, and it would be more effective to use threats and warnings to cow her into leaving well enough alone for the two weeks he had left with Aaron. After the wedding, he’d be faithful to Chrissie, and there would be nothing to catch him at.

Thankfully the call to the surveyor was a quick one. Chrissie and Andy rejoined them in the parlor, finding them sitting there silently. It seemed the surveyor Chrissie had used had under reported the damage to Wylie’s Farm, so they were going to fix the damage before Andy and Katie moved in. As they all stood, Chrissie looked at Katie and said, “Can I have a word? Without the boys here?”

“Yeah,” Katie responded. Andy left to wait in the car. Robert gave Chrissie an inquiring look, raising his eyebrows at her, but knew she would appreciate him letting her take initiative without questioning her about it. He briefly gripped her shoulders in reassurance, and headed toward the door.

As he walked across the room, he heard her say, “When I said I wanted to put this behind us, I meant it.” He’d have liked to listen in on that conversation, but he had no reason to linger. He closed them in together, and went upstairs to find Lachlan. They were supposed to go out to see a movie tonight, at Chrissie’s encouragement. He had to hound the boy to get him off his computer, and then went searching for his keys.

He ended up in the office, where he found Chrissie working. “Aren’t you going to be late for the film?” she asked as he patted his pockets for the umpteenth time. He saw her get to her feet quickly and move around the desk she’d been sitting at. The gesture struck him as somewhat guilty, or like she was hiding something,which didn’t make any sense.

“Yeah, er, Lachlan hates the trailers. They always give away spoilers,” he said as he scanned the nearest desktop. Chrissie spotted his keys and held them up for him. He took them gratefully, smiling at her. “Er, are we okay? Since your quiet chat with Katie?”

“Oh no, that’s fine. That was something else,” Chrissie assured him. Something about her smile and quick words seemed a bit off to him though.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t let her get inside your head,” he cautioned her.

“She isn’t! Now go on. Go! Have fun,” she urged him.

“Okay, I’ll see you later then,” he said, leaving the room to round up Lachlan. The boy was not thrilled about having to spend time with Robert when he could be online or out with a mate, but at least he was quietly miserable. Robert would take that over having the teen argue with him every step of the way! Still, it made for a quiet car ride, with plenty of time for Robert to overthink Chrissie’s behavior.

 

26 January 2015

Chrissie’s odd behavior was put out of his mind that weekend. He and Lawrence were off to a business convention before Chrissie woke Saturday morning, and they did not return until late on Sunday when she had already gone to bed. It had been a good trip all around. He’d had several opportunities to impress Lawrence, and they hadn’t butted heads even once. It was amazing how much the dynamics between them had changed in two months. Robert had always known that if Lawrence would just give him a chance, then he could easily make a place for himself in the White family. He hadn’t always been sure his decision to orchestrate a break-in at Home Farm had been a good one, but seeing how much Lawrence had come to value Robert’s opinions, he now knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.

They came down to the kitchen at the same time Monday morning. Lawrence was poking fun at Robert’s decision to sponsor the local footie team in his efforts to improve the image of Home Farm and the White family. Chrissie was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee when they came in, as Lawrence laughed at Robert and said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah- today football kids, tomorrow the Robert Sugden School for Underprivileged Children!”

“Chrissie! Can you please tell him!” Robert laughed, enjoying the feeling of being included in their family. Since he always seemed to be odd man out among the Sugdens. 

“Well, I just never had you down as a philanthropist,” Lawrence said, standing at the kitchen island and pouring himself a cup of coffee from the French press.

Robert came to stand behind Chrissie, rubbing her shoulders. “You’re the one who practically gave the farm to Andy and Katie!” Robert pointed out.

“Which reminds me- what did Andy and Katie’s survey say?”

“Ugh! The usual gripes, but we almost got rid of them. Right, I’m off for a meeting, but I’ll see you back here for lunch?” Robert said, directing the last part at Chrissie. She was quiet this morning, so he just leaned forward and kissed the top of her head before he made his way around the kitchen to clap Lawrence on the back. “And can you please tell your dad I’m not a complete waste of space?” he asked her before leaving.

If he didn’t hurry, he’d be late for his meeting, which would push his entire schedule back for the morning and cut into the hour he’d set aside for Aaron before Robert was due back at Home Farm for lunch. He hoped that once he returned Chrissie would actually be awake enough to speak to him!

*****

“Anyone home?” Robert called out, setting the two bags of carryout on the dining room table. “I brought lunch!” He heard Chrissie’s heels on the floor behind him, and he turned toward her. She looked upset, with her face set in a frown. “Hey babe, you alright?”

Chrissie slapped him across the face. She did not hold back.

“Whoa!” Robert exclaimed, head swinging to the side with the force of the blow. He brought a hand up and held it against his stinging left cheek, stunned. “What was that for?” Robert demanded.

“Don’t you dare come the innocent with me!” Chrissie snarled. She pointed at the stairs and when she spoke again her voice was tearful. “I want you to go upstairs, pack your bags, and get out of my life!”

Somehow she knew. She had to have found out. Had someone seen him in the barn with Aaron just now? “Wh- i-i-i-if you tell me what it’s about, maybe-” Robert stuttered, panicked.

“Oh, yeah? Well this I must see! My fiance forced to explain his porn addiction?”

Robert stared at her for a heartbeat, frozen. Even his panic was gone. “What?!”

“You’re pathetic! Getting women to take nude photos of themselves, arranging to meet them!” she cried, her face twisted with pain and disgust.

He would have said something then, but Vanessa interrupted. “Sorry, I just brought your dog’s antibiotics.” Robert looked over and finally realized that he and Chrissie had an audience of two. Vanessa and Lawrence had been standing over by the stairs. The old man must have let her in just before Chrissie attacked him. Robert wanted to protest his innocence as Vanessa scurried forward to deposit the medication on the dining table. He struggled to bite back the words, frustrated because he knew the second she got into town, she’d be gossiping at the pub. It’s all anyone around here seemed to do.

“Pay me anytime!” Vanessa called back over her shoulder as she hurried to make herself scarce. It left him alone with Chrissie and Lawrence.

“Right,” Robert said when he heard the door close behind her. He felt humiliated. “When you finish outing me as the village pervert-”

“Do you think I care?” Chrissie screeched. “You’re disgusting!” She strode up the stairs, on her way to their room, he supposed. Her exiting the room effectively ended the conversation before he’d even gotten a chance to defend himself.

Robert stared up after her, confused, embarrassed, and frustrated. “She’s got this spectacularly wrong,” he said, mostly to himself. Lawrence had come to stand beside him. Robert foolishly assumed that the older man would at least be on his side in this.

“I’ve seen the evidence,” Lawrence told him, face stern and unforgiving. “Game’s up.” Robert watched the old man walk away from him.

What the hell was going on?

Robert ran upstairs to speak to Chrissie. He found her coming out of their bedroom, carrying what he could only guess were his belongings in black plastic bags. “Chrissie, I don’t know what you’re on about, but I didn’t do anything!” She swept past him so that she was standing at the top of the stairs.

Robert watched her chuck one bag down the stairs as she screamed at him. “You’re a liar!”

“I can’t keep repeating myself-”

“No, you can’t, so why don’t you just leave,” she said, lugging the other bag down. He followed her downstairs.

“You’re making a massive mistake!”

“Oh, well you would say that, wouldn’t you!” Chrissie pointed out as her father joined them, silently backing her up. The Whites had turned on him again, it seemed.

“Because it wasn’t me!”

“Your credit card statements make for pretty damning evidence,” Lawrence told him, walking up to Robert and actually wagging a finger at him. As if he were some misbehaving child!

Robert stared at the old man, and suddenly a thought occurred to him. He pointed at Lawrence. “You’ve done this. You tried to set me up! I thought we’d got past all that.”

Lawrence turned toward Chrissie, hands outspread as if to wordlessly tell her, “Look how he’s making things up!”

“Oh, this is pitiful, Robert!” Chrissie mocked him. “Just leave!”

“No, I’m not going anywhere because I haven’t done anything. It wasn’t me!”

“Well then who was it?” Chrissie asked him, clearly just humoring him. “Only you and me have access.”

“I have no idea how this happened,” Robert said, completely fed up. “But if you want to believe that I’m that desperate, that I’d go online to get my thrills like some pathetic teenage boy, then-”

Robert cut himself off as the figurative light bulb went off in his head. As if on cue, Lachlan opened the door and walked in. Robert stared at the little bastard, simultaneously furious and relieved. He must have looked shocked or something, because both Chrissie and Lawrence swung around to see what he was looking at. The silence was telling as they both came to the same conclusion as Robert had.

Lachlan pulled one of his earbuds out as he saw them all staring at him. “What?” the boy asked, oblivious to the chaos he’d created with his little stunt.

“I think your mum would like to have a chat with you,” Robert said scathingly, crossing his arms over his chest. Chrissie gave him an apologetic look over her shoulder. He was unmoved, completely fed up with her lack of trust. She had checked his credit card statement in an effort to find evidence that he was cheating on her. The whole reason he’d strayed in the first place was because of her constant suspicion and distrust. He’d been completely faithful to her, but what was the point when she was just going to fly off the handle regardless? May as well have a bit of fun and do something worth being yelled at, if it was just going to happen anyway.

“Right,” Robert said, when she didn’t immediately beg for his forgiveness. “I’ll leave you to it, shall I? Heaven forbid you have to look at your perverted fiance one second longer than necessary.”

“Robert…” she called after him as he went into the parlor. He found his way to the bar and poured himself a stiff drink. He’d much rather have time alone, but the Whites followed him into the parlor. “Just sit down,” he heard her tell her son. Robert’s back was to the room as he downed the first drink and set his glass down so he could pour another. Chrissie came up behind him as he downed the second shot. “Robert, please… Can we do this as a family? We’ll talk later, I promise. I just really need your support right now.”

Robert turned to face her. She looked miserable. And well she should! He was not feeling very forgiving at the moment, but he let his expression soften a bit. “We’ll talk later,” he agreed. Chrissie reached out and gave his arm a grateful squeeze before turning and walking over to the armchair Lachlan had seated himself on. Robert and Lawrence positioned themselves nearby as Chrissie spoke to her son.

If she wanted to see something pathetic, then Chrissie would do much better looking at herself than at Robert. It was laughable how little authority she had over Lachlan. The boy sat there mute as she took it in turns to cajole and threaten him into admitting he’d stolen Robert’s credit card information to download porn and have women send him their photos. He had to give it to the boy- Lachlan was steadfast in his refusal to talk. After five minutes, Robert slouched against the top of a nearby armchair, resting his forehead in the palm of his hand. Lawrence leaned an elbow against the same armchair.

“Tell me! I won’t be angry. I just- I need to know,” Chrissie was saying. She needed to know because she wasn’t completely ready to rule out Robert being the pervert in the house. He rolled his eyes, irritated.

Lawrence finally joined in. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” the old man said reassuringly. Chrissie swung around to glare at him. Clearly she didn’t agree. Lawrence turned defensive. “Well, lots of boys his age develop, er…” He cleared his throat as he searched for words that would simultaneously reassure the boy and placate Chrissie. “An interest, in… this sort of… thing.”

“Yeah, like Granddad said,” Lachlan finally spoke up, tone impatient. He was probably as tired of the whole ordeal as Robert was. Lachlan stood up as he said, “It’s no big deal. So are we done here?”

“No!” Chrissie exclaimed. She pointed at the chair he’d just gotten up from, as if she expected him to sit right back down to let her yell at him. “You have some serious explaining to do!”

“You said you wouldn’t be angry. So who’s the liar now?” Lachlan told her. He was fighting a losing battle, poor sod. Robert shook his head, wishing he’d stayed with Aaron in the barn. Lachlan chose his mother’s best strategy for ending a fight by walking out of the room.

Chrissie turned to Robert and Lawrence, looking at them for support. Robert decided to stand up straight so he looked less bored and irritated. “You saw that stuff. And what about the theft of Robert’s credit card?”

“It’s fine,” Robert said tiredly, tucking his hands in the pockets of his slacks as Lawrence stood beside him, choosing to keep his mouth shut.

“Why can’t either of you see the gravity of this?” Chrissie demanded. Like Lachlan had seconds before, she walked out of the room before anyone had a chance to say anything.

Lawrence sighed and started in the direction Chrissie had gone. Robert realized the old man was going to comfort his daughter. As angry as he was at her, if anyone was going to comfort her, it should be him. “Let me,” he told Lawrence, placing a restraining hand on the old man’s arm.

He found Chrissie in the kitchen. She had poured herself a glass of wine and was taking an angry sip from it. “He’s only fourteen,” she said when she heard him coming up behind her. She took a large gulp from the class, almost finishing it off. He watched as she poured herself another.

“Yeah, you’re right. I was at least sixteen before I stole a credit card and bought porn,” Robert joked, his humor returning. She was taking the antics of a pubescent boy a bit too seriously, in his opinion.

“It’s just so graphic! I mean, he was arranging to meet someone. Anything could have happened!” Chrissie said, turning to face him.

“He wouldn’t have gone. He’d have been petrified!” Robert assured her.

“How can you be so sure? I mean, what’s that stuff doing to his mind? His attitude to women!”

“Hey, he’ll get past it.” He reached out and gently grabbed both her arms, holding her there to face him. He let his hands slide down the satin of her blue shirt until he held her hands. “Especially now that you’ve busted him. He’ll be so mortified he won’t go anywhere near it again.”

“Are you sure?”

“Definitely.” She looked so concerned that he had to poke fun at her. “Or he’ll just get better at hiding it.”

Chrissie gave him a small smile, then freed one of her hands so she could straighten his collar for him. “I’m so sorry I took it out on you,” she whispered, smoothing her right hand down his chest and gripping one of his hands in her left. “I just- I can’t bear to think of you with another woman. Just…” she trailed off, eyes squeezed shut.

She looked pained, but Robert was finding it difficult to dredge up any amount of understanding or sympathy for her. Sure, she was apologizing now, but in a week or two she’d find something else to fuel her insecurities. Because she not only didn’t trust him, but also didn’t respect him enough to discuss things with him in private, rumors about him were no doubt starting to spread in the village. So not only had Katie convinced everyone he was a cheat, but Chrissie herself would convince them all that he was a pervert.

“Hey,” Robert said, grabbing her attention. Chrissie opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I promise you right now, I won’t ever cheat on you with another woman,” he promised her, smirking at his own wording. Well, he wasn’t lying to her, was he? “Not a real one, not an online one. You have my word.”

Chrissie smiled at him and said, “I’m so sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” Chrissie hugged him. Robert held her close, running his hands soothingly over her back like the perfect fiance would. He’d forgive her. Eventually.


	16. Do you love him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check back in next Sunday, folks!
> 
> Thanks, and enjoy.

29 January 2015

Aaron stood at the bar and laid out today’s paper, feeling relaxed. He had just come back from meeting Robert at the barn before lunch. He’d taken a hot shower to wash away the scent of sex that lingered on his skin before coming down for a drink. He wasn’t interested in doing much of anything except enjoying a pint and the afterglow. Chas wasn’t paying him any mind, choosing to chat away with Katie instead. Aaron got to enjoy the peace for maybe five minutes before Vanessa hurried in.

“Right, people! Major gossip coming right up!” the blonde woman said, coming up to the bar and standing between Aaron and Katie.

“Alright, scram you! Ladies talking,” Chas told him. Aaron gave her a look. She was mental if she thought he was going to move just to give them a bit of privacy to gossip.

“No chance,” he said, going back to the paper he was flipping through.

Vanessa didn’t seem to mind his presence any. She immediately launched into her story, voice excited. “So, I were up at Home Farm dropping off some meds for Lachlan’s dog.” Aaron pretended to have interest in his paper as Vanessa started into her story. At the words “Home Farm” his attention had immediately shifted to her words. “She flies at Robert- Chrissie does. She slaps him right across the chops, and accuses him of downloading internet filth!”

Aaron frowned and his eyebrows lowered with skepticism. Katie, however, was eating the gossip right up. “No!” she exclaimed in cruel delight. “No, you are joking!”

“Oh, it gets better,” Vanessa assured her, seemingly happy at being the center of attention. “He’s only arranged to meet up with some floozy he’s met online.”

“Seriously?” Chas asked, as Aaron listened in.

“See, I knew he had another woman!” Katie told them all, sounding vindicated. “There’s Andy thinking I’m just being bitchy!”

They giggled over the news while Aaron remained silent. His first thought was that it couldn’t be true, and not because he just didn’t want to believe it. Aaron knew firsthand how much stamina Robert had, but even he’d have trouble squeezing a third partner into his busy schedule. Not only that, but the man panicked every time he thought there was the slightest chance Chrissie might find out about his affair with Aaron. It just didn’t make sense for Robert to double the risk of being caught straying by arranging to meet some strange bird.

Then there was the fact that Robert was gay. Or bisexual, maybe. Robert was drawn to Aaron because he was a man. For all that Robert said he loved his fiance, he was clearly missing something or he wouldn’t be straying. Whatever that something was, Aaron was clearly providing it. He was beyond certain that he was satisfying Robert in bed. There was no faking the blond’s reactions. He just wasn’t bored enough to be sleazing about the internet and arranging to meet women.

Still… Of course Aaron didn’t believe a word of the gossip, but once again he found himself wondering how this was going to play out. It was clear Robert intended to go through with the marriage, despite the fact that Chrissie wasn’t meeting all of his needs. That meant that pretty soon, regardless of how deeply Aaron felt for the other man, he’d be getting dumped soon enough.

Foolishly, for a few hours he had convinced himself that maybe, somehow, Robert would come to his senses. After they had spent the night together at the hotel, when he’d lain in bed with the man and told him about Jackson. Robert had seemed to understand Aaron’s pain and his struggle in a way that no one else had. He’d listened without judgment or jumping to conclusions.

When they had returned to the village, they had been tighter than ever. He still remembered how Robert had followed him inside to playfully pull him close, seemingly unafraid that Chas, or Diane, or Doug - or whoever - could walk in at any moment and see them. Then reality had set in. Robert had left the room to join Chrissie for lunch. Aaron had watched them hang all over each other, as if both of them were starved for their other half after one night apart.

Aaron had never been put in his place so harshly before. He was the outsider in this equation, not Chrissie.

Since that day, Aaron found himself trying to find excuses for why he shouldn’t love Robert anymore. The older man was confused; he didn’t know if he was coming or going, gay or straight. His priorities were all mixed up. He valued money and power over love and loyalty. And if by some miracle Robert chose to stay with him, and come clean to Chrissie, would he then end up cheating on Aaron at some point? Maybe he was just incapable of keeping it in his pants. The village gossip had him cheating left and right before he’d left Emmerdale ten years ago.

He loved Robert, but maybe it was time to let go.

Aaron grabbed his pint and took a sip, wishing it was that easy to give up on the man he loved.

He was too conflicted over the man, and it was driving him slowly and quietly crazy. He had no one he could talk to about this. Adam arriving at the pub saved him from having to listen to his mum and her friends laugh at Robert. He left the bar in favor of sitting at a table with Adam. Unfortunately, his mate didn’t have very good news for him. Apparently, Chas had told Adam that Eric Pollard was raising hell over having the scrapyard in such close proximity to the B&B. “I only started the planning permission yesterday!” Aaron told Adam. “If he starts complaining before it’s even begun-”

“Yeah, I’m on it,” Adam interrupted, clearly frustrated.

“Go on then,” he prompted his friend, nodding toward the bar where Eric sat by himself. Of the two of them, Adam was the best man for the task. His temper wasn’t as short as Aaron’s. He followed his mate to the bar, determined to provide whatever support he could. “Eric, what are you having?” Adam asked.

The elderly man looked up from the paper Aaron had left on the bar earlier, which Eric had snatched before Chas could throw it away. When he saw Adam, he looked back down at the paper. “No thanks,” he said with studied indifference.

“Come on! It’s the least I can do after insulting you earlier.”

The old man ignored them.

Leaning in, Aaron slapped his pint down on the bar and said, “You’re really starting to wind me up now!”

“Aaron, will you shut it!” Adam hissed at him. He backed off, trying to get a grip on his temper. Adam turned back toward Eric and said, “You do know this isn’t going to go away.”

The old man gave a laugh at that. “It is if I have anything to do with it!”

“We’re going to be massive,” Adam told him, causing Eric to laugh again. “We’ve got low overheads and an international shipping deal! And if you’re the astute businessman I’ve heard so much about, then you could be cut in.”

Eric raised his brows at that and looked up from the paper. “Go on,” he prompted.

“I’m offering you a five percent share of the business, Mr. Pollard. But I’m going to need that answer from you by tomorrow.”

A handful of seconds passed as Eric considered that. “Five percent you say?” He paused again, then said, “How about a two grand sweetener, just to, er, show good will?”

Aaron turned his face away in disgust at the man’s greed. “Five hundred,” Adam countered.

Eric gave a fake chuckle at that. “A thousand pounds, or no deal.”

“Deal.” Adam straightened up from where he’d been leaning against the bartop and held his hand out for the old man to shake.

Eric took his hand, but said, “Don’t say anything to Valerie. I’ll, er, pick my own time.” Adam turned to walk away, and Aaron followed him back to their table.

“So, it looks like we’re in business,” Aaron said. Adam nodded and looked over his shoulder at Eric to make sure he wasn’t listening in.

“Yeah. Let’s just hope no one else comes sniffing around to cause us grief!”

 

29 January 2015

“Hey, if it isn’t Mr. Money Bags himself!” Adam said as Robert approached them in the cafe. Aaron looked away from the tall blond as he set down his coffee cup on the low table between him and Adam.

He sat back in his armchair and threaded his fingers together while he listened with impatience as Adam told Robert that he was going to spend some of the investment money today by checking for scrap at some place that was going out of business. “I’m going to check it out, you know? Buy out all their stuff for our big grand opening!”

“Yeah, well get on with it then,” Aaron said, twiddling his thumbs.

Adam glared at him, but it lacked heat. His mate was well used to his moods by now. “I am doing! Enjoy your day slacking at the garage. While the boss makes this business happen, yeah?” Aaron kept quiet as Adam stood and walked out. He knew Adam had been doing the bulk of the work in getting their scrapyard up and running. Truth to tell, Aaron had been too consumed with whatever it was he was doing with Robert to put much effort in. He was at least glad he had worked out a deal with Jimmy King a few days ago and got them a truck for the business. It was nice to have something to show for himself.

Robert took Adam’s place on the sofa across from Aaron. As the blond settled in, Aaron fidgeted impatiently. He’d been giving this a lot of thought lately, and he had decided it was time to end this. “I’m surprised you’re here, what, with all that porn you must be watching,” he told Robert. To his chagrin, his words came out teasing rather than accusatory.

If he hadn’t already been sure that the rumor was false, Robert’s reaction would have confirmed it. The blond sat there with his hands folded in his lap. At Aaron’s words, he rolled his eyes with frustrated resignation. “So it’s common knowledge then,” Robert said.

Aaron raised his eyebrows. Of course it was common knowledge. What did he expect in a village this size? “Your porn fetish- yeah, it’s all over.”

“It’s not my fetish or my porn. I live with a fourteen year old boy. Do the math.” Aaron looked away and shook his head, unable to stop himself from laughing quietly. He was supposed to be breaking up with Robert right now, not kidding him just to enjoy his discomfort and the adorable look of frustration on his face. His moment of weakness had Robert rebounding so he was back to his usual confident self. “You’re jealous? Seriously?” Robert asked, grinning.

“Nah. I know it’s not your style,” Aaron told him.

“You can make it up to me,” Robert offered. Aaron lowered his brows at that, wondering what the blond was up to now. “Get the afternoon off. I’ve booked us another hotel.”

Aaron stared at him for a heartbeat, desperately wanting to say yes. Instead, he looked away and shrugged while he tried to stick to his guns. “Yeah, well I’ve got work.”

“Yeah, me too, but I’d rather spend the afternoon with you. Alone.” He suddenly felt hot all over, the first stirrings of lust tightening his belly. So here was proof that Robert had enjoyed that night as much as he had. Here was proof that Aaron wasn’t imagining more than was there. “We’ll have all night, not having to look over our shoulders,” Robert said. The man was as tempting as the devil offering him the apple from the tree of good and evil.

Aaron took a deep breath, trying to hold out. “One last night before you get married, then?” he asked, reminding himself why he needed to say no. Robert was getting married in a week. This was going to end between them in the next seven days. It was now just a question of how it was going to end. Wouldn’t it be less painful if he got to decide for himself how to end it?

“No. Well, at least I hope not.” Aaron looked away again. As if he was only just now beginning to realize that Aaron actually needed real convincing, Robert added, “Come on, this place is even better than the last. Seriously classy. I bet you don’t look bad in a suit.” Aaron tried not to shiver as Robert’s voice lowered at the last sentence, as if he was picturing Aaron in a suit right now and was seriously into it.

Aaron glanced back over, catching the way those blue-green eyes were traveling over his body. It made him smile, and he knew he had lost when Robert returned the smile, both of them sharing their private moment in the middle of the busy cafe.

What was he even doing?

He was still asking himself that when he approached Paddy in the pub later. “I need to borrow a tie,” he said, wishing Katie weren’t standing right next to Paddy. 

“Why?”

“Why do you always ask me-”

“Alright, when?” Paddy interrupted, cutting through Aaron’s frustration.

“Now. And not a stupid one either.”

“Stormtroopers aren’t stupid!” he protested.

“On a tie they aren,” Katie said.

Her words seemed to be a cue for his mum to come up to them and stop pretending she hadn’t been listening all along. “Look at you, fancy man!” Chas drawled. “A suit for the scrapyard? Hm? High powered business meeting, wheeling and dealing? I thought you were at the garage all day?”

“Well, Debbie’s in now, so,” he told her, trying to keep his face from betraying anything. “You got anything else you need to grill me on? No? I’ll take a shower,” he said, pretending like he wasn’t running from Chas and Paddy.

He cleaned himself up and styled his hair before dressing in one of his two suits. He had a dark blue one, and then a black one. Robert had already seen him in the blue one at Andy’s wedding, so this time he chose the black. He paired it with a dark blue button-up that his mum had bought him. When she had given it to him, Chas had told him it brought out his blue eyes. At the time he’s rolled his eyes at her, but now he found himself standing in front of the mirror in his bedroom, turning this way and that like a proper idiot. Aaron realized that most of his nerves were coming from the fact that he wanted to look as sexy in real life as whatever Robert had been picturing in his head earlier when he’d told Aaron to wear a suit.

Deciding that it wasn’t going to get any better than this, he went out to the kitchen where he’d left his suit jacket draped on the back of one of the chairs. He shrugged it on and fiddled impatiently with the collar as Paddy walked in.

“Here you go. I can’t pick,” Paddy told him, holding out four ties laid across his hands.

“Cheers,” Aaron said, coming closer so he could eyeball them. They all seemed a bit outdated, but he’d ruined the last one he’d paired with this suit, and the blue one he wore with the other suit was all wrong for this outfit. As he reached out to touch the black tie with tiny white dots, Vic walked in wearing her chef’s uniform.

“What are you all dressed up for?” she asked with interest, planting a fist on her hip and watching as Aaron lifted his collar and draped the black tie around his neck. As the tie laid undone over his chest, he could see that the black color didn’t appear to match the deeper black of his suit. How could black fail to match black?

“Er… just for work,” he answered, distracted. He’d just have to make due. He wasn’t about to stop and buy a new tie. There wasn’t time for it, and he refused to make more of a fuss over his appearance than he already had.

“No way are you going to buy scrap like that!” Aaron was acutely aware of Paddy turning to look at him. He knew the older man had been itching to ask him what all this was about. Strangely enough, Aaron wanted to tell him everything. He wanted to start from the beginning. He wanted to tell Paddy about Robert barging into the tractor shed and blackmailing him into fake-robbing Home Farm. Aaron wanted to explain how everything had happened so quickly after Robert had made a pass at him, and how he’d fallen in love despite himself. He wanted to tell Paddy how miserable he felt, knowing that Robert wasn’t ever going to consider staying with Aaron because he was that scared about what everyone would think when they found out he was gay.

He knew that given the chance, he’d never tell Paddy all of those things. Aaron had never been big on talking. But he wanted to share some of it at least. The parts that were keeping him up at night especially.

“Do you ever get the feeling you’re just in the way?” Aaron asked Vic as he worked on his tie. She rolled her eyes and walked back out, apparently forgetting whatever it was she’d originally come in here for.

“So what are you getting dressed up for exactly?” Paddy asked, jumping at the opening Vic had created. Aaron sighed as he tugged the end of the tie through the loop he’d created. He could tell the tie was going to be too long on him. It had been bought to lie at a fashionable length over Paddy’s rounded belly, leaving it to hang too far down Aaron’s flat torso. “Are you in trouble?”

“No!” he said. He gave Paddy a look, wordlessly asking if he was mental.

“So what then? Er, th-the bank, or a business conference? Why can’t you just say?”

“Because it’s no big deal!” he exploded. Why did Paddy and Chas always have to make such a big deal whenever he broke routine anyway? “I’m just seeing someone.”

“A bloke?” Paddy asked. Aaron resented the fact that he sounded so astonished. “Who’s worth getting dressed up for? Is it serious?” Now he sounded excited, which had Aaron muttering under his breath. “Well who?” he demanded, his excitement making him impatient.

“No one worth mentioning, Paddy!” Aaron told him, wanting him to just leave it already. Robert was worth mentioning- that was the problem. It all had to be kept secret, and it was starting to drive Aaron crazy. “And you better not either! To anyone, alright?” The last thing he wanted was for Chas to start pestering him. She was like a hound tailing a rabbit when it came to his relationships, meaning she was determined and wouldn’t stop carrying on until she’d cornered her prey and gotten her chance to maul it.

Straightening his collar over the tie, Aaron grabbed his overnight bag and left Paddy standing there, tight-lipped from keeping his mouth shut about whatever it was he was thinking just then.

He made the drive to the hotel trying to ignore the conflict inside. Aaron was going to stop worrying and enjoy himself. With the wedding day so close, this was very likely the last night they would be able to spend together. The chances that Robert would even be able to spare him an hour or two for an afternoon tryst weren’t much better. Tonight could very well be the last time Aaron would get to have Robert. He was going to make it count.

Aaron drove to the address Robert had provided him, and he could tell just by looking at the hotel that it was indeed even more expensive than the last. He was glad for the suit when he walked in. If he’d been nervous about being out of place at the first hotel, it was nothing to how he felt now. He gave his name as Mr. Snow’s guest at the reception desk, and waited while the woman checked for him in their system. “You’re in our premier suite,” she told him, handing him the room key.

“Right,” he said, accepting the keycard from her hand as he raised his brows. It seemed Robert was trying to go out with a bang. He was trying to make it nice if this was their last night together.

“Michael will take your bag,” the woman said, interrupting his thought. Aaron turned to see that Michael was a middle aged man whose work uniform was nicer than Aaron’s suit.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll do it myself,” Aaron said nervously, tightening his grip on the grungy strap of his overnight bag.

“The stairs are on your left, and you’re on the first floor,” she told him with a friendly smile and a nod. Christ, even the bird was wearing a nicer suit than him!

Aaron walked his bag and his insecurities to the right room and closed them inside with him. It was better, at least, without eyes on him. He helped himself to a beer from the bar and laid on the bed. Once again he found himself watching the telly as he waited for Robert. This time though, he didn’t fall asleep. He was wide awake when the second keycard swiped through the lock, and Robert walked in.

“Shabby enough for you?” the tall blond asked, wearing a smug smile as he closed the door behind him. Aaron relaxed against the pillows he had propped behind him, the nerves from earlier suddenly gone.

“It’ll do,” he said, smiling as Robert carelessly tossed his leather overnight bag onto the floor.

“Who’s playing?” he asked as he passed the telly on his way to grab a drink for himself.

“I don’t know. International,” Aaron told him without much interest. “You going to come and join me, then?”

“That’s not exactly what I imagined you wearing,” Robert teased as he opened up the beer bottle in his hand and walked over to the side of the bed. And just like that, it was alright that his tie didn’t quite match his suit. It didn’t matter. Aaron smiled as he started to sit up. “It works for me,” Robert said, taking a swig from the bottle before depositing it on the nightstand next to Aaron’s and taking a seat beside him. It felt so right when Robert leaned in and kissed him. Aaron melted into his touch as a hand cradled his head, thumb brushing against his scruffy cheek.

Unable to stop himself from smiling again, Aaron pulled away gently and went to the window to draw the curtains. They were on the first floor, and anyone who happened to pass by the terrace outside chanced getting an eyeful. Aaron had plans for Robert, and he didn’t want anyone else to see how shameless and free the other man got when he bottomed. Aaron was the only person who’d seen Robert like that, and he wanted to keep it that way.

“Who’s going to see us up here?” Robert protested, not liking the interruption. Aaron barely heard him. Outside, climbing the stairs to the terrace, were Katie and Chrissie. He felt his cheeks tingle as the blood drained from his face. He froze for just a few seconds, and then realized that he was standing in front of the window like an idiot and he could hear Robert getting up from the bed to come up behind him. They’d both be visible then, and all it’d take would be a small glance up from either one of the women.

The curtains were hastily pulled shut, and he swung around to face Robert. “You never know,” he said weakly, belatedly responding to Robert’s comment.

Robert drew in close, his hands a familiar weight against Aaron’s waist. “Is something wrong?” he asked softly.

That was Aaron’s cue to tell the truth. It was his opportunity to tell Robert that his fiancee was right outside their window, searching for him. “No. No,” he whispered, looking down. He could feel his face tense at the lie as he battled with his conscience. “The opposite of that, actually,” Aaron told Robert, glancing up at that handsome face. If Aaron kept quiet, events would unfold as they would have if he’d never looked out the window and spotted Chrissie. All he had to do was not say anything. Chrissie would walk in and find them in flagrante delicto. She’d leave Robert then, after catching them in the act. He might be upset for a while, but Aaron knew that a bird like Chrissie would never take him back after that kind of betrayal.

All Aaron had to do was stay silent, and he’d finally get what he wanted: Robert.

“I just think… us coming here,” Aaron glanced up at Robert again, knowing it was wrong but wanting it too badly to care. He nodded and gave a reassuring smile as he said, “It’s exactly what we need.” Robert smiled at him, and then leaned in to nuzzle against his neck. Aaron hugged him close, letting the smile drop from his lips. The guilt burrowed in deep, lining his stomach with acid.

He let Robert lead him back to the bed, but Aaron quickly discovered that there was a major flaw in his plan to just let the dice fall as they may. He’d made up his mind, but his body wasn’t cooperating. The heat from minutes before was gone. He was nervous and unsure, two feelings that had never worked as turn ons for him. Aaron tried to get back in the moment, leaning in as Robert kissed him. For once those kisses left him cold. For the first time, he couldn’t match Robert’s desire with fire of his own.

Aaron went with it for as long as he could. He sat on the bed with Robert, kissing and necking and groping. And then Robert made the first move to push Aaron’s jacket off, and he couldn’t do it. He pulled away, laying a hand against Robert’s chest to keep him seated as Aaron got to his feet. “Wait here,” he said, turning away and covering his mouth as he desperately searched for a reason to keep his distance. His eyes landed on the bar, and he went for another beer.

“Are you seriously picking a beer over me?” Robert asked him. Aaron didn’t have to look at him to know he was frustrated. He knew Robert well enough by now to know that playing hard to get drove the blond crazy. Not in a good way, either. Once he’d put in the initial effort to chase down what he wanted, Robert was the sort of man he prefered to have things easy.

“We’ve got all night, haven’t we,” Aaron pointed out, clinking bottles together as he chose one. He turned around to find Robert right behind him. The blond gripped him by the lapels of his jacket, preventing him from putting space between them.

“Aaron, Aaron,” he chastised him, hands moving to pull at his tie. “This tie,” he said as he loosened it, “is the ugliest tie I’ve ever seen.” Aaron watched from under his lashes as Robert pulled the offending item off of him and tossed it to the side. Then Robert took him by surprise, grabbing onto his jacket and jerking him in close before he even knew what was happening. Startled, Aaron braced his hands against Robert’s chest, feeling his belly tighten automatically as the blond took control. Robert hadn’t left any room between them, and he felt that hardness grind against his hip as the older man leaned in and stole a kiss.

Aaron had a split second to think he might actually be able to do this. Then he heard a knock at the door and pulled away, head turning in the direction of the sound.

“What?” Robert asked. “It’ll be the housekeeping. Forget about it.”

“Yeah, well get rid of them,” Aaron said, pulling back as Robert tried to kiss him again. His nerves were back full force. He tried to ignore the disbelieving look that the taller man gave him before he went to the door. Aaron straightened his shoulders, taking in deep breaths to prepare himself for the confrontation. He watched Robert unlock the door and pull it open.

“Yeah, we’re, er, we’re alright, thanks. We don’t need anything, so…” Robert said, words coming fast and impatient. Aaron frowned, both disappointed and relieved that it was actually housekeeping. He scrubbed at his beard with both hands as he waited for Robert to close the door. Instead, the tall blond stood there, frozen for a few seconds before he finally pulled the door closed. The way he made sure to shut it quietly seemed odd to Aaron. “What the hell are Chrissie and Katie doing here?” he whispered, staring at Aaron accusingly. Like he suspected Aaron had set him up.

Luckily, his own frazzled state seemed to convince Robert that he hadn’t orchestrated any of this. Aaron couldn’t even get a single word out. He lips worked for a moment before he just shook his head in confusion. Robert must have spotted his fiancee in the lobby without being seen in return. Aaron watched in silence as Robert paced, movements edgy in the manner of a wild animal that had been trapped in a cage.

“How did they find us?” Robert demanded. “How the hell did they find us?” Aaron shook his head, starting to get worried. Obviously he’d known that Robert would take it badly when he was found out, but knowing it and seeing it were two different things. The panic and desperation were clear to see and hear in Robert’s face and voice. “That stupid, flipping cow!” he snarled viciously.

“Who?” Aaron finally managed, taken aback at the ferocity in Robert’s tone.

“Katie! And her stupid, messed up crusade against me!” Aaron watched Robert cover his mouth with his right hand as he tried to get a grip. As the silence descended, Aaron glanced over at the door, waiting for the moment when the real fireworks would start. “Alright, get your stuff,” Robert finally said, sounding somewhat calmer than he had when yelling about Katie. The animosity the blond had for his sister-in-law and been palpable. “All of it,” Robert added. “You need to get out of here fast.”

“What, with them out there?” Aaron asked incredulously as Robert grabbed his cell phone.

“Yeah, well they won’t be in a bit.” Clearly the older man had a plan on how he was going to weasel out of this. Aaron felt the moment slipping away from him. Robert was going to smooth things over. He was going to make it so that Chrissie never got the chance to find them together. Robert was not going to let Chrissie go.

Aaron had just lost him for good. After this, he wouldn’t risk getting caught again.

He listened numbly as Robert called Chrissie and spun a perfectly believable tale about having his meeting get cancelled before he left Emmerdale, and deciding to reserve the fancy hotel for the two of them to have a romantic getaway for a night. Aaron watched Robert weave his web of lies, handsome face determined and voice sugar coated. This was what he wanted. Chrissie was what he wanted. Aaron turned away, grabbing his overnight bag and the tie that Robert had ripped off of him. Five minutes ago the man had wanted to undress him and jump his bones. Now he just wanted Aaron to disappear.

He left the room as Robert wrapped up the call, not bothering to say goodbye. What was the point? It was all over anyway. Aaron didn’t bother trying to hide from Chrissie or Katie as he went to return his key at the front desk, but it wasn’t until he got outside that he spotted one of them. Katie was getting in her car, and she was facing him. He pulled out his phone and lifted it to his ear, using his hand to help mask his face as he hurried past to get to his car. She never even looked up, as far as he could tell.

Aaron got in his car and let it idle for a few minutes, giving Katie a head start on the return trip to Emmerdale.

He was in no mood to face anyone when he got home, so he entered through the side entrance instead of walking in through the front and having to go through the pub. It was quiet when he walked in, but he hadn’t climbed more than two stairs when Paddy appeared from the door to the parlor. It was like the man had never left since Aaron walked out hours ago, like he was just waiting until Aaron got back so he could ask a lot of uncomfortable questions.

“Flipping heck!” Paddy exclaimed, clearly judging Aaron for the lateness of the hour.

“Paddy, what are you doing? Are you spying on me or something?” he asked angrily, his chaotic emotions finally finding an outlet.

“I’m helping your mum out! James is in hospital.” It took a second for that to sink in, and Aaron was left trying to figure out what to say.

“Is she alright?” he asked, worried they had been in some kind of accident.

“Yeah, because he is. Now.” Aaron took a relieved breath, glad that the night hadn’t gone from bad to worse. “I didn’t expect you back tonight,” Paddy said. Again he was at a loss for words, but with Paddy, sometimes he didn’t need them. The man he regarded as his father was looking up at him, blue eyes full of understanding. “Did it not go so well?”

It was the sort of question that really didn’t need an answer, but Aaron wasn’t interested in shutting Paddy out right now. “Yeah, well I’m here aren’t I?”

“Yeah. Sorry. Er, you know this whole…” Paddy trailed off, hands moving as he searched for words. “Secrecy! Thing. Why is that?”

He didn’t feel much like being alone with his thoughts right now, but that wasn’t the sort of thing he could answer, was it? Aaron reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out the folded tie. “Thanks for the tie, Paddy.” Aaron climbed the stairs to his bedroom. He just wanted to get into something comfortable, fall into bed, and forget that he’d ever heard the name Robert Sugden.

 

30 January 2015

Aaron rose bright and early, got dressed, and went to the scrapyard without stopping at the cafe for breakfast. He’d begun to notice recently that Robert had started to frequent the cafe every morning, mostly without Chrissie. It had turned into a bit of a routine for them, to “unexpectedly” meet for breakfast. Aaron didn’t want to go and find Robert missing, either because he didn’t want to risk being seen with Aaron or because he was getting a late checkout and was still in bed with Chrissie. And, on the slim chance that Robert did show up, Aaron didn’t want to see his face, because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from punching him.

Sometime during the night, he’d gone from being all cut up inside to being angry. Fine, if Robert wanted to pick Chrissie over him, that was his choice. But Aaron didn’t have to just bend over and let Robert fuck him over. Being nearly caught had been tough on both of them, for very different reasons, but Aaron was the only one getting hurt, and he was sick of it.

He let his rage fuel him as he moved the scrap around, digging into the work. It felt good to move around and use his muscles, pushing, pulling, and lifting things. It was a bit nippy outside, but he was dressed for the weather in a black coat, red heavy duty work gloves, and a black and grey patterned beanie with a pom on top. Aaron set a good pace for his work, and didn’t appreciate being interrupted by Robert. Maybe he’d showed up at the cafe after all, and had come here in search of him when he hadn't shown for his usual cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich.

“Are we on our own?” Robert asked, looking cold and windblown. Aaron looked around them and held out his hands, wordlessly asking, “Do you see anyone else here?” Aaron pulled off one of his gloves and rubbed at his cold nose, giving himself something to do besides look at Robert. “I came to, er, say sorry about yesterday.”

Aaron shook his head as he pulled the glove back on. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah it does!” Robert said quickly. “We had plans.”

Aaron finally looked at him. Damn it, he looked like he was being genuine. Like today it bothered him that he’d had to kick Aaron out. Well, it certainly hadn’t bothered him enough to prevent him from picking Chrissie over Aaron again. So instead of letting himself be sucked back in by Robert being real with him, Aaron shook his head and scowled. “I’m sure you had a good enough time without me,” he said with a shrug. He had no doubts about what had gone on in that hotel room after he left. He’d been replaced without a second thought.

“Aaron,” Robert protested, looking away and shifting his weight uncomfortably. “Don’t be like that.”

“You shouldn’t even be here, Robert. Chrissie could have followed you,” Aaron pointed out, playing on the man’s fears and his tendency to panic and run from Aaron every time Chrissie looked at him funny. “She obviously doesn’t trust you.”

“Yeah, well that was down to Katie,” Robert said, heat starting to thread through his voice. He really hated her, didn’t he? “I’ve covered our tracks. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“I’m not worrying,” Aaron said, staring at the other man. Was Robert that stupid? It was never Aaron who was worried about getting caught. The only one with something to hide was Robert! “She’s not going to find out anything now, is she? You get married, then you got to be a good little boy. That’s right, isn’t it?” Aaron asked, choosing his words purposely to rile up the other man.

Robert shifted his weight again, clearly not liking what Aaron was saying, but he didn’t rise to the bait. His voice was still soft when he spoke. “Well, we can still enjoy… the time we got left.”

Who was he kidding? They had what, five days? “Yeah, well maybe I’ve had enough sneaking around,” Aaron told him, putting an end to it. He wasn’t going to be Robert’s plaything for the next few days, just so the other man could get his gay thrills before he married a woman. Aaron turned away from Robert, but the blond man reached out to grab his arm. They’d done this before. The very first time they were together, Aaron had walked past Robert, and the taller man had grabbed his arm, pulled him around and kissed him.

This time Aaron shoved him in the chest, feeling rage and hurt filling him up inside. “Unless you want a broken nose on your wedding day, I’d do one if I were you,” he growled, pacing forward menacingly and watching Robert give way. He stared Robert down for a second, and that was all it took to show him that Aaron was serious. He turned away again, walked to the portakabin, and slammed the door shut behind him. Aaron waited until he heard the Audi’s engine turn, and the sound of gravel skidding out from under tires as Robert floored it.

Yeah, now it was really over. To his frustration, tears started running down his cheeks. It was a good ten minutes at least before he could get them to stop. Unwilling to face anyone else, Aaron spent his day off preparing the scrapyard for the grand opening. At least Adam would be pleased to find that he’d put in some extra work.

He ended up skipping lunch, and only went home because he was ravenous and there was nothing to eat in the mini fridge inside the portakabin. For some reason, he and Adam had gone and filled it up with ale. Paddy was waiting for him, like he knew Aaron needed him. Maybe he did. Paddy always seemed to know how to help him when he was feeling lost. It was nice to come home and find dinner waiting for him. They ate in silence, without Paddy even commenting at the speed Aaron inhaled his food. Afterwards, he sat down on the sofa in the parlor instead of going to his room. He wasn’t surprised when Paddy came to join him there, taking the seat beside him.

“I thought you might want to talk,” Paddy said, placing a pint down on the coffee table for each of them.

“No,” he said softly. He wanted the company, not the chatter.

“That’s alright, I’ll just sit here quietly then,” Paddy said teasingly. Aaron sat quietly, elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped so he could rest his chin on them. “”Or if you do want to talk-”

“I don’t.”

“-well, if you do-” Paddy continued, voice upbeat.

“But I don’t.”

“-then I’m here!” Paddy finished, sounding satisfied with his reasoning. Aaron sighed in exasperation, picking up the pint and taking a sip from the foamy top. He could practically feel the words bubbling up inside of Paddy. The silence lasted for maybe ten seconds before he spoke again. “I know what you’re like when you bottle things up, you.” This time Aaron didn’t bother trying to deflect. Paddy had a right to say those words. He’d nearly beaten the man to death when Aaron had bottled up his guilt, confusion and anger when he was trying to deny his sexuality. “You can trust me. It won’t go any further.”

Aaron took a deep breath, feeling all of his tension and heartache seeping to the surface as Paddy spoke. He stared straight ahead and clenched his left hand around his right hand, settling his mouth against his knuckles as he sat hunched over. “And he didn’t dump you, did he?” Paddy asked, somehow reading Aaron like an open book. “Anyway, he’d be an idiot if he did, wouldn’t he?” he laughed teasingly. The words cut Aaron deep, making his eyes sting. No, Robert hadn’t dumped him, but he’d made it clear he would never choose Aaron. “Aaron, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me,” Paddy said. 

“You can’t help anyway,” Aaron told him, still trying to cling to the secrecy that had covered the whole affair for months.

“Well, I’ll just listen then,” Paddy said quickly, clearly grateful that Aaron had said something.

He took a deep, cleansing breath. He needed this. He had been alone for two months, trying to deal with it on his own. When it came down to it though, he’d never been much good at handling stress on his own. Aaron had always needed support. It was manageable, when he and Robert were going strong. Now that it was over, Aaron needed someone he could talk to, someone he could trust to have his back. And if not Paddy, then who? Not Chas! She’d go after Robert with a bat and alert the entire village without meaning to spill the secret. And not Adam. He’d be more supportive than Chas, but he’d tell Vic, and Vic would go to Robert, and possibly Andy and Diane. No, it had to be Paddy. He’d been Aaron’s rock for years.

Aaron took another breath. He had tears in his eyes again, but this time he thought it might have more to do with the relief of talking to someone than anything else. “We went to a hotel.”

“Okay,” Paddy said, urging him to continue.

“But… we weren’t on our own.” How was he supposed to tell Paddy, who was basically his dad, that he’d been having an affair with a man who was as good as married?

He heard Paddy take in a sharp breath. “Er…”

“Not like that!” Aaron told him, realizing that he’d inadvertently made it sound kinky.

“No,” Paddy immediately agreed, as if his brain hadn’t just been in the gutter.

Aaron took another breath, deciding that he could tell Paddy what was going on without sinking Robert in it. He’d just have to be vague. “His other half showed up and… was going to find out. So…” Aaron breathed in, finding it hurtful to have to tell Paddy he’d been kicked out, that Robert had chosen someone else over him. “I had to disappear, and they got the room.”

“So he’s not single, then,” Paddy said, his normal joking manner put aside.

Aaron gave a wry snort. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”

“And you didn’t know?” he asked, ignoring Aaron’s sarcasm.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and gave the smallest of shrugs. “Well…”

“Oh!” Paddy said, clearly reevaluating things.

“Didn’t stop me though, did it?”

“I’m not judging you,” Paddy said, reaching forward to shift his glass of ale to give himself something to do.

“Yeah you are.”

Paddy stopped fidgeting and sat up straight. “Would you like my advice?” he asked. Aaron appreciated that he asked, instead of simply starting in on him.

Aaron nodded. “You think we should bale,” he guessed.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Paddy told him.

“I’ll be fine!” Aaron wondered why he was even fighting this.

“Well, you will be if you forget about him.”

“I can’t,” Aaron told him, hating it but knowing it was true.

Paddy took a big breath and shifted forward to sit on the edge of his seat, shifting to face Aaron squarely. “Y-y-you see, w-well,” Paddy fell into his familiar stutter as he tried to get his words out. He took a breath and said, “What’s- what’s so special about this one?” Aaron didn’t answer. “You really like him?”

Aaron slowly nodded.

“Is it more than that?” Paddy finally asked. He paused, but Aaron didn’t answer. “Do you love him?” he demanded.

Aaron took a breath and finally glanced over at Paddy. There was no point denying it, was there? It was clear from the look on Paddy’s face that he’d already guessed, and was just waiting for confirmation. Unable to speak at the moment, Aaron simply nodded again, averting his eyes so he wasn’t looking directly at Paddy.

They sat for a few minutes, just sipping their ale. It gave Aaron a chance to compose himself, to will the tears away before they could fall. “Does he know how you feel?” Paddy finally asked. Aaron gave a small shrug, looking down at his fingers. “Have you not told him?”

“What do you think?” Aaron asked with some irritation. Because that was clearly the first thing someone would do when entering a relationship with someone who wasn’t single. Just go and blab their feelings, like it’d make any difference.

“Maybe he feels the same way,” Paddy pointed out.

“Well he doesn’t. And I shouldn’t!” Aaron said, frustrated at himself. “I knew what I was getting into, I knew there was someone else, I just- I knew!”

“Well, things change!” Paddy told him. “People’s feelings change. Yours have. Maybe his have too. Are you sure he’s never going to leave his boyfriend for you?”

Aaron felt stunned by those words. Of course Paddy didn’t know, how could he? How much simpler it would be if he were stuck in a love triangle made up of three gay men where were all out. But no, he had to go and fall in love with the closeted bloke who was homophobic when it came to his own sexuality! And on top of it all, the third person in the equation was a bird, who was happily planning her wedding day. All Aaron could do was shake his head for a moment, trying to find words. “No. They live together. They’re happy. So, no.”

“Are you prepared to put up with that?” Paddy asked him. That was always the question, wasn’t it. His entire affair with Robert hinged on just how much Aaron was willing to put up with.

“Well, I wasn’t yesterday!” Aaron said, remembering again the hurt of being turned away without Robert even having to spare a moment to weigh his options. He thought back to being in that hotel room with Robert. How right it had felt to see Robert walk in, and how his worries over his suit and tie had immediately disappeared when he saw him. He thought about spotting Chrissie outside, and letting the moment when he could have spoken up just pass by because he was that desperate to have Robert for himself. And he thought about how he’d purposely kept quiet in the hopes that Chrissie would somehow find their room and discover them together.

“You know… I really wanted us to get caught,” Aaron told Paddy, nodding his head as he thought about it. He’d wanted to get caught so badly, because even though Robert would be hurt and angry after Chrissie broke off the engagement, Aaron would have been there to pick up the pieces. “I actually nearly let it happen, but… well, it fell apart.”

“Probably for the best,” Paddy told him.

“Yeah, for him maybe.” Things always worked out in Robert’s favor, didn’t it? He was like a fucking cat always landing on his feet. He was a man who liked to have his cake and eat it too. What had he done, after having Chrissie come sniffing about? He’d kicked Aaron out without a second thought, and then had the nerve to come see him the next day so they could pick up where they’d left off. If he hadn’t turned Robert away, he had no doubt what would have happened. Robert would have had them naked and sweaty in a trice, either in the portakabin, or even out in the open if he was confident enough that Adam wouldn’t be dropping by. He was always quick to jump Aaron- unless he was scared he was going to get caught.

“He was bricking it,” Aaron told Paddy, remembering how Robert had lost it when he’d seen Chrissie and Katie in the lobby. Aaron remembered thinking he was like a caged animal. “He likes his life just the way it is.”

“What are you going to do?”

Aaron took a deep breath, just letting the events of the past couple days sink in. “I’ve really only got two choices. Either I finish it, or… or I blow the whole thing, and let him deal with that.”

Paddy didn’t say anything, but Aaron could tell by his silence that he disapproved. The man was never quiet unless he felt disturbed. Aaron couldn’t find it in him to care. Paddy didn’t know the whole story, did he? He didn’t know how Robert could be so selfish sometimes, and how he always, without fail, put himself first. Aaron and Chrissie were both secondary to him. He was just stringing them both along, using her for her money and prestige, and Aaron for his body. If anyone deserved to have to deal with the consequences of their actions, it was Robert. 

When all was said and done, the man had it coming, didn’t he?


	17. I don’t like you anymore. I definitely don’t fancy you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'll be wrapping this up with one more chapter to be posted next Sunday. I really enjoyed writing this, so I'd say there's about an 80% chance that I'll come back to this and do a Part 2 that also closely follows the Robron storyline.
> 
> If you've enjoyed my writing, I have plans to flex my muscles a bit by writing Robron fanfic that doesn't stick like glue to Emmerdale canon. You know, to give myself a bit more creative freedom ;-)

30 January 2015

Robert stared at the door of the portakabin that Aaron had just disappeared behind. The loud slam of the door still sounded in his ears. He had come to the scrapyard to apologize for the other day. Robert hadn’t liked the way yesterday had played out. He’d made plans with Aaron, and he had very much been looking forward to those plans. Of course he’d had to adapt to the situation when his fiancee had unexpectedly appeared. He had to smooth things over with Chrissie. That had to be his first priority. Yet even as he’d made love to her, he hadn’t forgotten who should have been under him in that moment. Yes, he’d given Chrissie a night to remember, but at least part of the heat of the moment had been anger, not lust.

He’d gotten them out of the hotel bright and early, just so that he could meet Aaron for breakfast and apologize. Robert should have realized the younger man was upset when he failed to show up at the cafe. There was no doubt that an apology was owed for wasting Aaron’s time last night, but it hadn’t occurred to him that the situation at the hotel would lead to this!

It was like they were back to square one. It was almost as if the past two months had never happened. The look on Aaron’s face when he had shoved Robert away was exactly the way he used to look at him before they’d slept together. It was a look full of anger and disgust. Robert had always liked the younger man’s surly nature and tough scowl, but he’d never been a fan of the times Aaron had looked at him with barely controlled hate, like he was a hairsbreadth away from smacking Robert in the face.

Frustrated, Robert stalked back to his car and got inside, slamming his door loudly. He turned the car on and peeled out of there so fast that he could smell burning rubber from the tires. Robert slammed his hand against the steering wheel as he drove, and his hurt and frustration turned easily to anger. He wasn’t angry at Aaron though. He wasn’t even particularly angry at Chrissie, although her trust issues were really starting to get old. Yeah, maybe his affair with Aaron was a breach of trust, but at least it wasn’t serious. Robert was still completely devoted to her and their relationship. She was his top priority at all times, and eventually she would come to believe that.

This was all down to Katie. That interfering cow kept fanning the flames every time Robert thought he and Chrissie were okay. She was messing everything up, and Robert was tired of it.

He drove to Katie’s and knocked on the door. As soon as she opened the door, Robert pushed his way in. “Can’t take the hint, can you?” he asked, not caring if Andy or anyone else was there. As it happened, she appeared to be alone in the house.

“You can’t just barge in here, Robert!” she protested, closing the door and following him into the parlor.

He swung around to face her. “I warned you to stay out of my life, and you wouldn’t listen!”

“Yeah, because I know you. And I know you’re hiding something.”

“Oh, right. So what was that yesterday, then? Doing the whole Sherlock Holmes bit?” Katie shifted her weight uncertainly, her silence louder than words. She hadn’t thought that he would know she and Chrissie were both at the hotel. She thought Chrissie had managed to hide that from him just by loitering in the hotel bar for half an hour before joining him in his room. “You think you can get the better of me?”

“What did Chrissie tell you?”

Her response just infuriated him more. They way she asked that question made it clear that she and Chrissie had agreed to keep their sleuthing a secret. Katie seriously thought she could get away with interfering again, after he’d warned her to back off.

“She didn’t need to. I saw you blundering in, trying to catch me out. Dragging her along. Putting ideas in her head.”

“So I was right! I knew it! You were meeting someone.”

Katie sounded triumphant, and Robert couldn’t let that stand. He came at her threateningly, shoving a finger at her face as he tried to stop himself from getting physical. “You say that again, and you’re going to regret it.” Robert stared her down, feeling hate and rage fill him. “You try to wreck my life, and I’m going to do the same to yours. You play with fire, Katie, and you’re going to get burned.”

He left before she could work up the nerve to talk back to him. The confrontation had given him only a brief outlet, but he knew Katie too well to think this would be enough to put her straight. She’d toe the line for a few days, and then go right back to obsessing over his life. Really, what did she care if he cheated on Chrissie with another woman? Or a man for that matter. Or with an entire rugby team! Why couldn’t she just let it go? It was none of her business.

When he had returned to Emmerdale, he had thought it would be a brief stay. He never imagined that Lawrence would buy Home Farm and Chrissie would want to stay. So Robert hadn’t exactly been trying to build bridges at the time. He had riled both Andy and Katie up, and he’d done it on purpose. He had taunted them both. Robert would have been disappointed if she hadn’t responded, but once his new family had settled in, he had tried to make amends. Granted, she always seemed to bring out the worst in him, but he had been reasonable unless provoked. Robert couldn’t remember Katie ever being reasonable about their enmity in the past few months. Her obsession with his love life had been unexpected and unwelcome. He had warned her repeatedly to back off, but she just wouldn’t listen.

It was time to follow up on his threats. Maybe what Katie needed was some proof that Robert wasn’t playing games. He had told her once before that if she tried to mess with his relationship with Chrissie, he’d be forced to mess with her marriage to Andy. It was time to make good on that promise.

 

2 February 2015

Robert didn’t go on the attack that very day, or even the next. He had to wait until his temper cooled. It was just too likely that he’d slip up and say the wrong things if he was still running hot, and end up undoing all the progress he’d made with Andy. Robert was a firm believer that revenge really was best served cold. It gave him time to plan things out properly.

Over the next couple days, he kept his distance. It was on the day that Andy and Katie were making the move to the caravan set up on Wylie’s Farm that he made his appearance. Their door was open, and Vic was loitering in front of the place, leaning against the moving van. “If you’re thinking of going in there, I wouldn’t,” she told him as he came up to her.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“I think they’re having some sort of row,” Vic said, looking concerned.

“How do you mean?”

“Well, they’ve just been… cold to each other. All morning. It’s just not like them.”

“Then maybe what they need is a distraction,” he told her with a grin. Vic gave him a look full of skepticism, but she said nothing as Robert made his way up the pathway to the house. Since the door was open, he walked right in without knocking. “Morning, all!” he called out cheerfully. Any day when Andy and Katie were fighting was a good day for him. Plus, he knew that if he ignored their ongoing feud and pretended like everything was okay, it would grate on Katie’s nerves.

She was headed out with a box when he entered, so Robert moved aside. Katie gave him an indecipherable look, but said nothing as she went past him and walked out. Robert gave Andy a purposely confused look and gestured to the door Katie had just disappeared through. “Are we… okay?”

Andy stepped forward and glanced toward the door, as if making sure Katie was gone before he spoke. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s not your fault.”

Robert took just a second to consider that sentence. From that alone, he could gather that Andy didn’t believe anything Katie may have said about him having an affair. Either that, or he believed her but just didn’t care, and was upset that she was taking so much interest in Robert’s love life. “Well, I came to see if you needed a hand with anything,” he said helpfully. “I brought a car if you need more space, and I’m headed up that way anyway.”

“No, we’re all done, thanks,” Andy told him, sounding subdued.

“Well, then I’ll see you up there then, yeah?” Robert said, giving him a nod as he took his leave.

“Hey, listen- Rob,” Andy called out, bringing him to a stop before he stepped out. When Andy didn’t immediately speak, Robert came back toward him. “I heard what Katie did at the hotel, and it was out of order. I swear, I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Robert told him gently. Then he followed it up with a jab at Katie that was just innocent enough that he knew Andy wouldn’t comment on it. “She was always a bit… complicated.”

“Yeah,” Andy agreed after a moment. Either Katie or Victoria chose that moment to honk the horn, so they both headed out. Robert used the drive to the caravan as time to further think about his approach to the problem Katie posed. He rather liked being on good terms with Andy, and whatever he chose to do about Katie, he didn’t want to mess that up. Past experience had shown him that whenever he was at odds with his brother, Vic and Diane had the habit of siding with Andy.

It was clear that Andy was having doubts about Katie. He’d never have let Robert get away with calling her “complicated” in such a condescending manner otherwise. He had to widen the rift between the couple even further. It had to be done in such a way that left him looking free of fault, while at the same time tipping his hand just enough for Katie to cotton on. Her temper would never let her give Robert a pass if she suspected him of something. She had to know he was up to no good, or she wouldn’t come after him and prove to everyone around her how obsessed and paranoid she was.

To that end, Robert went to the caravan and proved to Andy, Vic, and Diane how helpful and well mannered he could be. He chitchatted with his family, ignored Katie entirely, and helped unload boxes into the caravan. After about half an hour, he heard Andy say, “Alright, we’re all hooked up in there. You could have a brew if you want.”

Robert left off unloading Andy’s car. “Sounds like a plan. Er, Andy. Um, you, mind if I ask you something? A favor?”

“Depends what it is,” Andy told him.

“I was, er, wondering how you’d feel about…” Robert glanced over to his right, where the three women were standing side by side watching him speak to Andy, waiting to hear what his question was. He knew it would please Vic and Diane, and he knew it would bother Katie, but he had no idea how Andy would take it. “Um, about being my best man?”

“Are you joking?” Andy asked, clearly taken by surprise.

“No,” Robert said, beginning to have doubts about how Andy would answer. “It’s what I want.”

Andy stared at him for a couple seconds, face still looking puzzled. “Why? Can you not get anyone else?”

“I don’t want anyone else,” Robert told him, glancing at their three onlookers again. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked. He really didn’t want to get turned down in front of everyone. He’d just thought it would be a grand gesture, and a good way to show that he was trying to move forward. Robert had thought Andy would appreciate it as the olive branch it was. Now he was facing rejection for his trouble.

“I don’t know,” Andy finally said.

It wasn’t a no. Robert was a businessman, and he knew when a potential client could be convinced and when it was a lost cause. Andy could be brought around. “Come on, Andy. This is my way of saying sorry. I can’t exactly change the past, but I can do this. So, er… Come on, just say yes!” Robert begged him, smiling crookedly with some embarrassment.

“Yeah,” Andy agreed, voice soft. “Alright.” Relieved, Robert clapped his hands down on the much shorter man’s broad shoulders, and then pulled him in for a brief hug.

“Did that just really happen?” he heard Diane whisper.

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes!” Vic exclaimed.

“I’m made up for you both,” Diane said as Andy walked past them to get into the caravan.

“Thanks,” Robert told her, feeling almost giddy with relief. “Where’s that brew, eh?” Diane and Vic filed into the caravan, leaving just Robert and Katie outside. He approached her, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket against the chill wind. “Diane’s right,” he told Katie as he looked around them. “It[s a wonderful spot, this,” he added, referring to a comment Diane had made about ten minutes ago about how lovely the location was. “Brings back all kinds of memories- how much fun you can have in a caravan,” he said, tone suggestive.

“You can fool them, Robert. You can’t fool me,” she told him, before going inside.

He followed her in, and they all sat down for a brew. It would have been a perfect family moment if Katie hadn’t been there. She sat and glowered while the rest of them made conversation. She put a dark pall on everything, and Robert didn’t think he was the only one who noticed. They all ignored her as best they could, and then continued to unpack the cars before finally heading to the Woolie for a well earned meal.

He excused himself to freshen up before sitting down with his family. When he exited the toilets he found himself face to face with Katie. “Ah, I was wondering where you’d got to,” she said when she saw him.

“Funny that. Aren’t you always?” He wondered if she actually needed the loo at all, or if she’d come searching for him. Maybe she was hoping to catch him having a random hookup in the toilets?

“Well, Andy’s in there,” she said, gesturing toward the bar. “Fancy raising a glass with us? Our home, your wedding… friends, family.”

“Okay, what’s this about?” he asked, fed up. She was being too nice. Like she had something up her sleeve.

“Nothing,” she protested unconvincingly. “No, I’m happy. So you want to know what I saw when I stood on that hillside?”

“Andy and a caravan?” he said, pointing out the obvious.

“Andy. Me. You. Chrissie. All so much closer after the wedding. See, after Andy’s been best man, we can all come to yours and spend loads of time together. So I’ll be by your side all the time,” she said sweetly, with a smile on her face. “I won’t let you out of my sight. Won’t that be nice?”

Robert gave her a menacing smile. “Are you threatening me?” he wondered.

“Oh, like you did me yesterday?” she asked him. “Only if you’ve got something to hide, Robert. And if you do, believe me, I’ll find out.”

He glared at her as she disappeared into the women’s toilets. Clearly she’d gotten over the shock of being confronted by him about the hotel. If she was threatening him back, it meant she still didn’t take him seriously. And make no mistake, her words had certainly been a threat. She as good as told him that not only would she continue to monitor his movements and behavior, but she was going to try to worm her way closer to Chrissie so that it would be just that much easier for her to tattle on him if she ever caught him with Aaron.

He really hadn’t wanted to have to take further action, but she refused to back down. Robert had always had a preference for fighting with words, but sometimes actions spoke louder. It had come to the point where it was necessary to prove to her that he wasn’t all talk. Robert had to show her that his threat carried weight.

Slipping out of the pub, Robert made his way to his car and drove back to the caravan. The sun had set early, and it was under the cover of darkness that he found his way through the small country roads to the rickety old caravan that a Sugden was now calling home. It was an embarrassment, really. Someday, the farm could be something, but he doubted that either Andy or Katie had the vision it would take to make Wylie’s anything other than a small family farm.

Stepping out of the SUV he’d borrowed from Chrissie, Robert was suddenly glad that his sporty Audi was safely at Home Farm. Chrissie’s car was much less recognizable, on the off chance that some neighbor spotted him driving up to the farm. He grabbed the crowbar he’d gotten from the back of the car earlier and headed toward the caravan. Going up to the door, Robert wedged the crowbar between the door and the frame. With a bit of elbow grease, the door popped right open as the flimsy lock broke.

It was cathartic, really, to walk in and start destroying everything. Robert tore through the caravan, shoving carefully placed knickknacks off of shelves. He tossed breakables against walls, enjoying the way they shattered into hundreds of pieces. The thick soles of his boots crunched the pieces under his weight as he moved back and forth through the small space, looking for anything that seemed like it belonged to Katie so he could smash it to bits.

Finally, he came to the kitchen and rested his hands on the stove top, letting his head drop. It wasn’t enough. Everything he had destroyed could be replaced. He wanted Katie to have nothing. She deserved nothing. Why couldn’t she just leave him alone? He hated her, he hated that she now carried the Sugden name, and he hated that she wore his father’s ring on her finger.

But most of all, he hated what her snooping was doing to his life. Her gossip made strangers judge him before ever meeting him. They whispered about him behind his back. Her meddling had jeopardized his relationship with Chrissie more than once. It had certainly made Chrissie more suspicious of him, and she was already inclined to be distrustful after her wreck of a marriage with Lachlan’s dad. And it had turned Aaron against him; the only person in this village besides family that was worth spending any time around. The few days he had left with Aaron before Robert married Chrissie were all but wasted now, spent apart because Katie had become consumed by the need to insert herself in his love life.

Standing there, staring at the stove top, Robert suddenly realized how to make her pay. Reaching for the stove top dials, he turned them on so they released gas into the air. He had a short time now, before breathing in the gas would start to affect him. Someone had left a lighter on the stove at some point. Grabbing it, Robert walked over to the window nearest the door. He thumbed the spark wheel and held the small orange flame to the frilly ends of the ugly window curtains. The old cloth caught quickly, and Robert hurried out from the caravan.

He stood there for a moment, hardly believing what he’d just done. Then, smiling, Robert headed for Chrissie’s car. Katie would soon have nothing. And she would know that she was to blame for any hardship this caused her and Andy.

Robert drove home, sneaking inside and hiding out in the parlor. He wasn’t in the mood for company right now. He set himself up near the fireplace with a glass of whiskey in one hand, and his working draft of his wedding vows in the other. He wasn’t really interested in trying to work on it now, but reading the words helped remind him why all this was necessary. He couldn’t feel bad about the caravan. Not now, when it was too late to stop the fire. And not when he’d done it to save his relationship with Chrissie.

The whiskey helped soothe him, and the quiet gave him time to process everything in his head. When Chrissie finally found him, he was feeling better than he had in days. “I didn’t hear you come in,” she commented, smiling at him as she walked closer.

“I’ve been here ages,” he told her. “Writing my speech, if you must know.”

“Sweet,” she murmured, coming over to sit down next to him. Robert tossed the pen and small notebook onto the coffee table so it wasn’t resting on his lap anymore.

“It’s not ready yet,” he confessed as she settled down sideways, leaning in toward him but not yet touching him. He kept hold of his whiskey glass with his right hand and settled his left arm against the back of the couch. “There’s something else, actually. I’ve asked Andy to be my best man.”

She stared at him for a moment. “What, you didn’t think to run it past me first?” she demanded.

“I know,” he shushed her, left hand stroking her arm where it rested on the back of the sofa next to his. “I know we were going to ask Lachlan, but it just- it seemed right at the time. We’re building bridges.”

“Well, it’s your decision, I suppose,” she said softly, the frown easing from her features so that she was left looking at him with easy affection.

“Well, something had to be done,” he said, his voice just as gentle as hers while he thought about his actions this evening. “It was a marker. That’s what I’ve done today. I’ve laid down a marker for how things are going to be from now on between me and them.”

Chrissie smiled and closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his. It was almost like she was agreeing with him. Robert smiled back, glad to have her with him in this, even if she didn’t know the details.

 

3 February 2015

The call about the caravan fire came before they turned in for the night, so Robert, Chrissie, and Lachlan had gone to Wylie’s Farm to provide support to Andy. It was evident there was nothing they could do to help in the middle of the night, so they let the firefighters do their work and went back home to sleep. When they woke and headed down to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast, the fire was of course what they talked about.

“Are you sure it wasn’t you who torched the caravan?” Lachlan teased his mother as Robert poured himself a cup of coffee from the French press. “I mean, you were all over that fireman.”

“Firefighter,” she corrected him. “Sexist!”

“Do you even remember what he said?” Lachlan asked her.

“Can you tell me why we gave him the day off again?” she asked Robert.

“He’s got an injury!” Robert told her.

“A small cut,” she corrected him.

“Plus, I’m traumatized by, er…” Lachlan trailed off, unable to think of something in his own defense.

“By a scabby caravan burned down by kids?” she suggested. “See, I do remember!”

“Hey!” Robert said, pressing a hand to Lachlan’s shoulder in a show of support. He liked the way the Whites never seemed to be phased by the hardships faced by others. Not that Chrissie was heartless. She just had a fine understanding of when and how she could be of service, and the rest of the time she saw no need to pretend concern. “Leave the kid alone. He’s been as good as gold!”

“Well, if he’s earned the day off, he can scrub the yard for the wedding.”

“Who would be in the yard?” Lachlan asked, confused.

“No idea, but you can scrub it anyway!” she told him. “Blame Robert. I wanted you for best man.”

“Andy will be great!” Robert insisted. “Once he’s dragged his knuckles up the aisle.” Chrissie snickered at his cruel joke and turned her face away to hide the smile. “I did it all for family harmony. You get that, don’t you?” Robert asked Lachlan.

“I didn’t want to do it anyway,” Lachlan said. He and Robert gave each other high-fives, clearly on the same page.

“I hate you both!”

Robert grinned at that, but any further family time was interrupted by the front door slamming. He heard Lawrence say, “Actually, we’re in the middle of something!”

Robert and Chrissie lead the way out of the kitchen, with Lachlan tailing them. They found Katie in the foyer, where she had just pulled her arm from Lawrence’s grasp. “Oh, god, it’s you,” Chrissie drawled. Robert bit back a grin. It was always nice to see her in fighting form, when she wasn’t turning her sharp tongue on him. “What’s he done now? Invaded Poland?”

Taking her lead, Robert set his hands on his hips, regarding Katie with exasperation. “Nope!” he said. “She’s come to accuse me of setting fire to her lavish mobile home, haven’t you, Katie?” She had played right into his hands, coming after him like he knew she would. He was just glad they had witnesses, although it would have been better if one of them was Andy.

Katie pressed her lips together angrily, knowing he was making a fool of her. “I know it was you. And I’m not going anywhere until you admit it!”

“Would you want your own room made up then?” Chrissie offered calmly.

Katie stared at her, no doubt shocked by the classy set down. Robert couldn’t keep the smile from his face as he looked from Chrissie’s regal, hard-eyed stare to Katie’s flummoxed features. The surprise melted from her face then, leaving her determined. He hated when she got determined. “You weren’t so sure of yourself when we followed him to that hotel.”

Chrissie straightened up, confirming Robert’s suspicion that they had made a deal between them not to say anything to Robert about following him to the hotel. Katie had been too surprised that he’d known about her involvement in that when he had confronted her. He realized then that he was now in danger of being found out by his fiancee. She had turned to face him, seeming to be at a loss for words.

“It’s fine,” Robert soothed her, hoping Katie didn’t realize that Chrissie still thought he was in the dark about the hotel fiasco.

“I can’t believe you said that,” Chrissie breathed, looking at Katie as if she’d just been betrayed. “I mean, what have I ever done to you?”

“Oh, loads!” Robert interjected loudly, hoping to divert the topic from how they had followed him to the hotel. “Maybe she started the fire,” Robert said, nodding toward Chrissie.

The fire was clearly much more important to Katie than the hotel. She took his bait, shifting topics. “It was you, Robert!”

“Maybe we should take minutes, what with the affairs and now this! You’ve got a list of accusations as long as your arm!” Lawrence spoke up, banding with Robert and Chrissie against Katie. Lachlan stood off to the side, completely silent but obviously also on Robert’s side.

She stood there in front of them, in their home, with her chin held high. “Do you know how serious arson is?” Chrissie asked her. “Oh, no, no, of course you do! After what happened to Robert’s mum.” Robert didn’t mind her using the barn fire against Andy right now. Chrissie was on his side. She was trying to drive home a point, and sometimes you couldn’t afford to be sensitive about certain topics when trying to win an argument.

“That was an accident,” Katie said, protecting Andy.

“Maybe,” Lawrence agreed, “but he still went to prison for it.”

“Twist it any way you like-”

“You are really starting to worry me,” Chrissie interrupted, her quiet voice commanding more attention than all of Katie’s yelling.

“So you’re just going to let these two do all the talking, are ya?” Katie demanded, looking at Robert.

“I think he’s waiting for you to wear yourself out,” Lawrence told her. Actually, Robert was enjoying having his new family stand up for him, like the Sugdens never had.

“That’s not going to happen though, is it?” Robert asked, pulling his phone from his back pocket. After all, if Katie was able to wear herself out, she’d have given up on hounding him about his affair a long time ago.

“How many times do you have to be proved wrong?” Chrissie wondered as Robert turned on the screen of his phone and pulled up the phone keypad.

“Call Andy,” Lawrence told him, seeing his phone.

“No, I’m ringing the police,” Robert said. “They can come and arrest me. Or Andy. Either way, it’ll wreck the wedding, which is all this is about.” He relished the way Chrissie turned from him to glare at Katie, clearly very upset at the thought of her wedding possibly having to be rescheduled for a second time.

“I don’t care about your wedding!” Katie shouted.

“Oh, so him being best man hasn’t rubbed you the wrong way at all?” he asked her.

“The whole village knows how much you hate us,” Chrissie said, seeming to find it plausible that Katie would want to ruin the wedding out of hatefulness.

“I’m even embarrassed by you,” Lachlan spoke up, his disinterested voice a nice counterpoint to Katie’s continued shouting.

“He threatened me,” she said, pointing at Robert accusingly. He gazed at her in surprise, half smiling. Did she seriously think anyone was going to believe her at this point? She sounded like a madwoman!

“When?” Chrissie demanded. “Where are your witnesses to that? And where’s your evidence for the caravan? The fire brigade have been, the police have been- the only person who’s mentioned Robert is you.” Katie stared at Chrissie, as if shocked that no one believed her. “You have as much reason as any of us to burn that caravan down. You phone the police.”

Defeated, Katie let herself out. Robert caught Lawrence smirking as Katie passed him on her way out. There was no doubt about it, the Whites were good at turning the tables on people. It’s what made Lawrence and Chrissie so shrewd when it came to business deals.

Robert felt good, having finally won his battle with Katie. Chrissie, however, was just getting started. He listened as she called Andy and told him all about the showdown. It was better coming from Chrissie. She had witnessed everything Katie had said, and Andy would trust that she didn’t have ulterior motives. Robert didn’t argue with Chrissie when she insisted they go to the Woolpack. She was worried Katie would go there and start spreading rumors about Robert.

The drive was a quick one, but tense. When he walked into the pub with Chrissie and Lawrence, he saw Diane going into the back with someone. There was no sign of Katie, at least. “Is that Andy?” Robert asked Vic, pointing at the door behind the bar that Diane had gone through with someone.

“Er…” Vic said, answering his question indirectly. Andy must have been upset, or she would have readily answered him.

“I need to have a word with him,” Robert told her, leaning his folded arms on top of the bar.

“Look, seriously don’t,” Vic told him, shaking her head. 

“I promise you, Victoria,” Chrissie spoke up as she stood between Robert and Lawrence. “We’re going to look back on this one day and laugh.”

“Is it that bad?” Vic interjected before Chrissie could say anything else.

“Katie has accused your brother of torching the caravan!” Lawrence exclaimed indignantly, gesturing toward Robert in case there was any question over which Sugden brother Katie would go around accusing.

Vic frowned, as if having trouble making sense of what Lawrence had said. “Sorry?”

“Yeah, it is funny,” Robert said, glad to find his sister didn’t believe a word of it. He’d done it, yes, but not without provocation. It had been a necessary evil.

“Well, I’m more embarrassed,” she corrected him. “Poor Andy!”

“You two go get a table,” Lawrence told him and Chrissie. “I’ll order some food.”

“Just a drink for me,” Robert said. “I’ve got to head out in a minute.” He picked out a table and sat there with Chrissie. He liked having her on his side, and he almost just left it. But he couldn’t, because as long as he was teaching one bird a lesson, he may as well try to strike two with one stone. “So are you going to follow me?” he asked her, making sure his tone conveyed his frustration at her continued lack of trust.

“I am mortified about that,” she told him as Robert shook his head at her. “I only went to shut Katie up! I swear I trust you completely.”

“You know, I thought that hotel would be a nice treat for us,” he said, trying to sink the lesson home.

“I know, I know. It’s unforgivable.” She looked over at him, expression turning playful. “What if I let you spank me?” Robert stared at her, giving a laugh under his breath. She nudged at his arm and smiled. “Say you forgive me!”

He lifted his arm so that she could snuggle in against his chest. “In time,” he told her, squeezing her close. He was grateful to her for sticking up for him in the face of Katie’s justified wrath, but he wasn’t going to forgive her just yet. She laid a kiss against his chest and stayed there like that with him until Lawrence came to join them. She didn’t argue with him, obviously thinking he was right in being cross with her.

Robert didn’t stay long, and neither Chrissie nor Lawrence asked him where he was going for once. He drove his Audi to the scrapyard and let himself into the portakabin. It was empty, but he hoped that Aaron would be back soon. And if Adam came in first, Robert would just distract him with business talk and find out when Aaron would be back, or ask where he could find him. He sat at one of the desks, cooling his heels for a good thirty minutes. He whiled away the time playing games on his phone. He didn’t bother texting Aaron, worried that the younger man would try to avoid him.

And then there he was, wearing that ridiculous beanie on his head, that had the little pom on top. It made Robert want to go over there and kiss him, then undress him until all Aaron was wearing was that beanie. He stayed seated, not trusting himself to keep his hands to himself if he got anywhere near the younger man. From Aaron’s expression as he walked in, Robert could tell he was still upset about being interrupted at the hotel.

“What, am I supposed to be surprised?” Aaron asked as he tossed his phone onto the desk with a loud clatter. “Your car’s parked outside.”

“I wanted to see you,” Robert told him. It was stupid, but his heart felt like it was sitting in his throat as he watched Aaron take a seat on the other side of the desk from him. Robert tried to play it cool, leaning back in his swivel chair and using his feet to shift himself from side to side like he hadn’t a care in the world.

“Why?” Aaron asked, getting straight to the point. Well he certainly wasn’t giving Robert much to work with, was he?

“Katie’s blabbed about her and Chrissie at the hotel,” he told Aaron, watching his face. The young gave a small shrug, his expression simultaneously disinterested and wondering why Robert was telling him this. “Chrissie’s guilty for doubting me, and… well…” Robert shrugged, smirking to hide his discomfort. “I didn’t put her mind to rest, and I should have done.”

“So what are you smirking at?” Aaron demanded. “You're laughing at someone you’re supposed to love, yeah?”

“That’s just my face’s default setting,” Robert told him, flirting. That hadn’t really been the reaction he was hoping to get from Aaron. Maybe some appreciation for going through the effort of getting Chrissie and Katie off their backs, so they could enjoy the time they had left together? Maybe some gratitude, for risking everything to be here with him?

Aaron huffed and looked away from him. Robert didn’t give up, trying to win him over. “Even I’m not surprised I get punched as much as I do,” he joked at his own expense.

“Yeah, well I said no and I meant it,” Aaron told him, turning back to meet his gaze.

“I know,” Robert rushed to say. Yes, he’d meant it at the time, but things could always change. He gazed at Aaron, hoping to get some sign that things would go back to normal between them.

“I’m not interested, so…” But Aaron looked away as he spoke, and stood to walk toward the door. He was putting distance between them. He was trying to avoid Robert, and that didn’t strike him as something a person who was completely uninterested would do. “Either you leave, or I’m going to make you.”

Robert stood and came around the desk, coming to stand near Aaron. “Remember, I prefer verbal violence, to physical,” he said, hardly hearing his own words as he stared down into those blue eyes. There was heat in those eyes, but it was anger and not lust.

“Oh, I know you do,” Aaron said. “And you’re good at it. Winding people up in your little knots.” Robert’s stomach twisted as Aaron stared him down, unrelenting in his rage. “I don’t like you anymore. I definitely don’t fancy you!”

“Alright, there’s no need to get personal about it,” Robert told him, not wanting to hear anymore. He might have preferred to get punched in the face to this. “I’ll just see you around then, shall I,” he said, trying to find a way to back out of this with some dignity. Aaron looked away at those words, wounding Robert further. “Or not.”

He walked out of the portakabin, pausing outside as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. He felt like an observer in his own body, barely feeling the wind on his face or the gravel under his feet as he made his way to his car. It was shock, probably. It was definitely shock. He found himself pulling up to the Woolpack, not remembering the drive at all.

Chrissie was still there, and he sat down next to her at the table. Val had joined her at some point after he’d left. Thankfully Val was such a flamboyant character that her dramatics distracted both Chrissie and herself from Robert’s quiet sullenness. They were discussing the wedding plans, and it left a sour taste in his mouth. Val was unabashedly giving them advice on how to plan for poor attendance. His temper frayed as she spoke, but the last straw was when she said, “You don’t want any empty seats during the day. You don’t need to make yourselves look any more unpopular!”

“We’ll see you at the wedding, Aunt Val,” he interrupted her. She gave him a pleased smile and left the table.

He was to get no reprieve tonight. Val went away, but Katie walked in just then. She went to the bar to speak to Andy, who had been sitting there by himself nursing a pint. Robert and Chrissie tried to listen in, until Katie turned around and addressed them directly. “Listen, I am sorry!” she told them, visibly distraught. “Okay? Really, I am sorry! Okay? I’ll come to your wedding, or not. I’ll do whatever you want. Just… I genuinely want to put this behind us now.” Katie then turned back to Andy and said, “Look, stay here tonight, do whatever you want. Do whatever you need to do. I want us. I want the farm. Please, don’t throw that away because I’ve been an idiot.”

Robert watched Andy turn his face away for a moment to gather himself before he looked back at his wife. “I really don’t know. I can’t really take it anymore.” Andy slid off the bar stool and went around the bar to the back. Katie stood there for a minute, her back to the table where Robert sat with Chrissie. She then left without a word to anyone, walking out of the pub to be alone.

An hour ago, he might have watched the drama unfold between Katie and Andy with enjoyment. Now, it all seemed bitterly similar to his confrontation with Aaron. The words were different, but it still ended with someone walking away gutted. He found himself empathizing with Katie. It was perhaps the most intolerable cruelty that Aaron had subjected him to yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! Thanks for reading, and check in next Sunday for Chapter 18.


	18. I'm getting used to keeping secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! Last chapter! Thank you to everyone who stuck it out with me from the beginning. I hope you enjoy this. I'm pretty sure I want to continue this with a Part 2. You know, at some point down the line. I've really enjoyed just going back to watch old episodes. I feel like I've discovered so much about these two from watching them so closely, and trying to get into their heads in order to write this.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! Leave comments if you like it. Or comments if you don't. I'm open to constructive criticism!

5 February 2015

Katie’s body lay crumpled in the debris of the rotted floor that had snapped under her weight. Her clothes were torn, and her skin was smeared with dirt. Long yellow hair lay tangled around her head, the color dulled by a coating of dust. Aaron found himself wanting to smooth it out for her, to wipe the smudges away from cold skin, and to straighten her limbs so that she was laid out more comfortably. None of that mattered to Katie now. They were small concerns that only mattered to Aaron.

He could do none of that. Instead, he moved around her body, trying to wipe away signs that anyone had been here with Katie in her final hour. When he was done, her corpse was left in the farmhouse, looking untouched and forgotten. He had no way of knowing when someone would find her. There was no way to know who it was that would find her, whether it would be a friend or someone who cared nothing about her. Aaron wanted nothing more than to stay with her, as if his presence would provide some comfort. It wouldn’t. It was far too late to help her.

Aaron forced himself to turn his back on Katie. He made himself walk away and get in his car. When he turned the key in the ignition and put the car into first, he felt unreal. And when he drove away, each mile he put between them made him feel less human. The thing that got out of his car and walked into the church where the man he loved was getting married to someone else was not Aaron. He was a monster who’d rather save his own skin - and Robert’s - than do right by the girl he’d left dead at Wylie’s Farm.

There would be no coming back from this. Not for him. Aaron may as well have died with Katie. He would do anything to turn back time. He would give anything to undo this day, or better yet, to undo yesterday. He wished with every particle of his being that it had been him who fell to his death instead of her.

If it hadn’t been for him, Katie would still be alive.

 

4 February 2015

Aaron watched Robert leave the cafe, wondering how to feel about their latest chat.

He had sat down to lunch with Paddy at the cafe, and they were lingering over coffee. Aaron let the older man’s babble fill his ears, finding it oddly relaxing the way he could just sit with Paddy and not be pressed to contribute overly much to the conversation. He got to sit quietly, for the most part, and still feel included. “So then Kerry comes in and says she’s bored, and can she borrow a couple of dogs for an hour,” Paddy was saying excitedly.

“Right, go on,” Aaron said, taking a sip of coffee before placing his mug on the coffee table between them so he could slouch back in his seat.

“Er, I don’t know, something about thinking about getting a puppy and wanting to try it out,” Paddy said. Aaron was then distracted by Robert coming in. The blond caught his gaze. Aaron realized they were staring at one another, neither making a move, so he averted his eyes and turned back to Paddy. He was hyper aware of Robert closing the cafe door behind him and walking past Aaron’s seat to get to the counter. He could hear Bob ribbing him about tomorrow’s wedding, and it being the end of Robert’s life. Aaron found himself in agreement with Bob. Robert was going to ruin his life by getting married, but it was really no longer Aaron’s concern.

“You don’t think she’d do anything daft with them, do you?” Paddy asked him.

It took Aaron a moment to check back into the conversation, but he hid his confusion by examining the nails on one hand. “Oh, Kerry? Er, I’d be surprised if she wouldn’t.”

“Right,” Paddy said, looking thoughtful. “Well, I’d best be off,” he said abruptly. Aaron figured Paddy was off to make sure Kerry hadn’t done anything stupid with the dogs he’d loaned her from the vet. “Are you alright though? Are you still treating him mean to keep him keen?”

“I’m fine, Paddy,” Aaron said, hoping Robert wasn’t listening just now.

Paddy nodded, and Aaron could tell he was debating whether or not to say something else. As usual, he opted to say more. “Because you know I’m always up for a beer. 24/7. You know, if you need me.”

“Right, alcy.”

“Rude!” Paddy said, then stood and headed out.

Aaron took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he dropped his head back on his seat cushion. Robert came around and gestured toward the seat Paddy had just vacated. “Can I? Or are you going to threaten to hit me again?” Aaron rolled his eyes at that and shook his head, which in Robert’s head apparently translated to an invitation to sit. He slouched there, trying to look nonchalant with his head still tilted back against his cushion. Aaron watched the blond from under his lashes as Robert leaned forward in his seat, elbows resting on his knees. The creaking sound of his leather jacket punctuated his movements.

“Meet me at the barn at four,” Robert murmured.

Aaron thought about that for all of a second. “No,” he answered, finally lifting his head up.

“Come on, it’s important. I’ve got something to tell you. Please?” Robert asked, as Aaron eyed him suspiciously. Bob interrupted them then, bringing over Robert’s Americano. It gave him the time he needed to gather his resolve. There was something about having Robert softly begging him in a public place that had Aaron wanting to say yes, no matter how skeptical he was that all Robert wanted to do was “tell” him something. Bob walked away, and Robert turned his green-blue eyes back on Aaron. “At four, yeah?”

Aaron watched him leave the cafe, miffed that Robert hadn’t even stayed to hear Aaron’s answer. He just left, arrogantly assuming that Aaron would fall into line. Well, he wasn’t going to. Hadn’t he already made himself clear twice now? He’d shoved the man, and then Aaron had told him he no longer fancied him. What more would it take to convince Robert that the affair was over?

Because it was definitely over. Robert was getting married tomorrow. Did he really think Aaron would be happy to meet him at the barn for one last thrill before the big day? On the very eve of his marriage to a woman? What did Robert take him for?

And alright, there was no point denying it to himself that a small part of him was tempted to go. Despite the fact that showing up at the barn would prove what a pathetic loser he really was. Aaron still wanted to see him. Maybe just to say goodbye or something. But even he could tell that was a terrible idea. They would just end up having sex, and then Aaron would be left hurting worse than ever.

If he needed something to strengthen his resolve, then all he had to do was think of Paddy. Their last conversation on the topic of Robert had happened two days ago. If there was anyone’s judgment that Aaron trusted above his own, it was Paddy’s. He always seemed to know what he was talking about, and if he said it was best to steer clear of Robert, then he was mostly likely right.

Paddy had come around to his on Monday, after giving him the weekend to think things through. Aaron had made them both a brew. They had sat at the kitchen table together, and Paddy said, “You know, I’ve been thinking. Would you like to know my advice?”

“What, you’re a naggity aunt as well as a vet, now are ya?”

“No! I’m a naggity uncle, actually, and I’ve got a column in the Courier. It’s got a little picture as well!” he laughed, being silly. Then, pretending to read the headline, Paddy said, “Gay or straight - or just not sure! - Uncle Paddy has the cure!” Aaron frowned, giving him a look that had Paddy backpedaling. “Not the cure, I don’t mean- Sorry, that’s really offensive! I-I- when I said-”

“Just shut up. Get on with it,” Aaron told him, knowing Paddy hadn’t meant anything by it.

“Er, so this fella of yours, how long has he been seeing his fella?”

Aaron glanced at Paddy before sighing and looking down at his cup. He’d let Paddy assume some things the first time they spoke, but Aaron couldn’t see how it would hurt to just tell him that the third person in this love triangle was a woman. As long as he wasn’t using names, it’s not like he was risking outing Robert.

“There is no other fella,” Aaron admitted, still not looking at Paddy.

“So what’s your problem then?”

He glanced at Paddy again, taking in the patient look on his face. Looking down, Aaron said, “There’s a woman.”

Paddy gave a laugh. “He’s got a girlfriend?”

“Er… No, a wife.”

Paddy inhaled deeply at that. “Mate!” he exclaimed, clearly shocked. Paddy took off his glasses, slamming them onto the table so he could stare at Aaron with no barriers between them.

“Well that’s it, is it? That’s your advice?” Aaron asked defensively. The stare Paddy was giving him had equal parts shock and judgment in it.

“No! It- no! It’s not! My advice is to run a mile. Listen! The man is confused.”

“Oh, brilliant. Just like I was then.”

“No! Th-that- No!” Paddy stuttered, upset. “That’s different.”

“How’s that different?” Aaron demanded.

“I’ll tell ya how it’s different! It, um…”

“Because I had you,” Aaron acknowledged, thinking about it. Robert had no one to turn to while he tried to sort himself out. “Because I could talk to you. When I had no one else to talk to. And now he can talk to me,” he said with feeling, as he looked at Paddy, trying to get him to understand. Aaron had put up with so much from Robert, but it was because he knew the struggle the other man was facing while he came to terms with his sexuality.

“You could talk to me. It was as simple as that, was it?” Paddy asked. Aaron rolled his eyes, hearing the uncompromising tone in his voice. “Apart from when you were knocking me senseless, and then you tried to gas yourself in a garage!” Aaron rubbed at his mouth, trying to hide the pain he felt at Paddy’s words. Those were things he wasn’t proud of, and he wasn’t used to Paddy bringing any of it up. “Listen, you’ve come so far in sorting your own head out. You really don’t need to be sorting his out as well. Please tell me you’re going to walk away before you get yourself hurt!”

Paddy’s pleading had been so earnest, and heartfelt, that Aaron knew he had to listen. So even though he was tempted to meet Robert at the barn, he stood firm. He worked his shift at the garage, painfully aware of the hours ticking by. At four, he made his way to the pub and settled down in a relatively quiet corner with a pint. Aaron almost took his phone out to text Robert, and let him know that he wouldn’t be there. He didn’t, because he had to cut ties entirely. If he broke down and texted, he knew it would take little for Robert to convince him to meet him.

The guilt gnawed at him as Chrissie and Lawrence appeared. Apparently they had arranged to have an informal wedding celebration at the Woolie. Aaron shifted uneasily in his seat as he heard Lawrence cry out, “Where is everyone? Doug, Diane, the Pollards- they’re all supposed to be here!” And there was Chrissie, standing next to her father as she tried to ring Robert. Aaron heard her comment that the call went straight to voicemail. She had no idea that her fiance was sitting alone in a barn, waiting for Aaron to join him.

He nearly got up several times to do just that. The more time that passed, the guiltier he felt for not showing. It was nearly five by the time Robert appeared at the door. The man had to have waited for Aaron close to an hour. “Where have you been?” Chrissie asked as Robert approached her.

“Last minute shoe panic,” Robert lied. Aaron tried to ignore them all, but it was hard to do when people were gathering there for free booze, courtesy of Lawrence in celebration of the big day tomorrow. Even Aaron was partaking. He’d tried to pay for his pint, but his mum had told him not to be daft. She would have been suspicious if he insisted on paying for his drink. So Aaron sat in his corner, miserable. He felt worse because one glance at Robert was all it took for Aaron to see how upset he was. It was amazing that Chrissie failed to notice the circles under Robert’s eyes and the tension in his shoulders. He looked a far cry from his usual cocky self.

Aaron was done feeling guilty when Robert and Chrissie stood next to his table, and the blond man pulled his fiancee close to kiss her. Chrissie’s eyes closed as she sank into it, but Robert’s eyes were staring into Aaron’s. If he was trying to make Aaron jealous, it was working. But it was also pissing him off, more than anything else.

When he saw Robert excuse himself and head for the toilets, Aaron followed. He couldn’t help himself.

He found Robert looking in the mirror, tugging at his jacket as if dissatisfied with the way it looked on him. The supple leather hugged his body closely, outlining his form in a way that Aaron had always liked. More than anything, he wanted to come up behind Robert and press against him. He wanted to nuzzle into his neck, and take in that expensive smell of good leather and masculine perfume. It hurt knowing that he’d never get to do any of those things again. Aaron felt like he’d been kicked in the teeth, and Robert hadn’t had to say a word yet. When the blond turned to face him, he knew that whatever was said between them now, it was going to be more painful than watching Robert snog Chrissie in front of him.

“It took me a while,” Robert said, meeting his eyes. Aaron leaned against the wall and tried not to look bothered. He gave Robert a shrug, wordlessly asking him to explain. “To work out you weren’t showing up.”

“Yeah, well we’ve already been through that, haven’t we?” Aaron forced himself to say.

“Yeah, well it’s a shame. The thing I wanted to say was… I was hoping we could carry on. You and me. After the wedding.”

Aaron felt like he was reeling. From the start, Robert had always told him their affair was just meaningless fun that wasn’t meant to last. But now he wanted it to? If Robert wanted to carry on, then it had to mean something to him. Aaron had to mean something to him. “You what?” Aaron said, shaking his head as he tried to let those words sink in.

“I even got Chrissie to pull the farm sale. So we’d have a place to meet. We could think of it as ours,” Robert told him, never looking away. Aaron could hardly believe what he was hearing. Setting up a house for them was more than just carrying on a random affair. That was long term. They’d be playing house right under Chrissie’s nose.

Aaron shook his head again, speechless for a moment. It took a few seconds to regain his voice. “That’s not what you were saying before.”

“But the longer I waited,” Robert said, still looking Aaron in the eyes, “the more I realized that you were right. Me and Chrissie, we were meant to be married.” Aaron swallowed, feeling like Robert had just stabbed him in the heart. He had to look down, away from Robert’s gaze. Those eyes held blame and hurt, and the blond was using it to punish him. He felt tears in his eyes as Robert spoke, driving the knife in deeper. “I mean, what we had… It wasn’t real. It was nothing!” Aaron could hardly breathe, his heart squeeze inside of him, leaving him in agony. “So you win,” Robert told him. “It’s over. Let’s just forget it ever happened, eh?”

He barely noticed the blond leaving him there alone, but he was grateful for it when the tears finally came. Aaron cried, feeling like the other man had just torn his heart out and stomped on it. Robert had said those words, knowing how much they would hurt him. Aaron had never told him how he felt about him, but it was clear Robert had guessed. And it was clear now that Robert had felt the same. He wouldn’t have bothered to hurt Aaron this way if he hadn’t been hurting just as badly.

If only Aaron had met him at the barn. He knew now, that if he’d gone there, he might have been able to convince Robert not to get married. There would be no such chance now. Aaron had blown it. Robert would never allow himself to be convinced now. He was hurting, and he wasn’t going to allow himself to be vulnerable in front of Aaron again. Not anytime soon.

The room suddenly felt claustrophobic. Struggling to breathe, Aaron made his way outside. He wanted to be alone, but he found Katie standing out in the cool night. “You alright?” he asked her.

“Yeah, just wanted some air,” she said, sounding sad.

“So, you and Robert are sorted, then?” he asked.

“Do you know what? That is about the last thing that I want to talk about. He split me up with my husband and my best mate, so if you don’t mind?”

“You do know you were right though, don’t you?” Aaron asked her desperately, willing her to listen. He’d suddenly found a way to make things right.

“Just leave it, Aaron, please!”

“No, I’m serious,” he told her. “But if you’re not interested…”

Katie eyed him, clearly wondering if he was just trying to make fun of her. When Aaron held her gaze, she finally asked, “What do you mean I was right?”

He took a deep breath, preparing himself for this. Once he said the next words, there would be no going back. “He was having an affair. All along. Just like you said.”

“Don’t mess me around,” she warned.

“No, I’m not! It’s the truth!” He could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to believe him.

“I’ve had about as much of this as I can take, Aaron.”

“What if I can prove it to you?”

“How?” she asked, and he knew then that he had her. She would help him get Robert back, and put an end to the wedding.

“Just trust me,” he told her. “Tomorrow. I’ll get you all the proof you need.”

“You better not let me down,” she told him. He knew Katie was risking her marriage, but by tomorrow she would have proof that she wasn’t crazy. Robert would be exposed, and Chrissie would dump him for good. Yes, he’d be mad at Aaron for a time, but he was confident in their connection. He loved Robert, and he’d never been more certain that the other man returned those feelings. He was just confused, and marrying Chrissie was just going to further the confusion.

Aaron left Katie standing on the stoop in front of the Woolie. He needed a walk to clear his head, and figure out how he was going to get Katie the proof she needed. His thoughts were interrupted by Paddy calling out to him. “Look! Still alive!” the older man said. The two dogs he had rescued from Kerry’s clutches caught sight of Aaron and were pulling at their leashes in their eagerness to greet someone new. “You alright?” Paddy asked when he didn’t say anything.

“Yeah. Actually, yeah,” he said again. “I’m the best I’ve been in a while!”

“Why?” Paddy asked worriedly, clearly not trusting Aaron’s mood.

“Because I’ve made a decision. I’m going to blow the affair!”

“What? Are you mad? What would you do that for?”

“Because I’ve got no choice, Paddy! I’ve got nothing left to lose.” If he sat back and did nothing, then the man he loved was going to marry someone else tomorrow. Instead of a fiancee standing between them, there was going to be a wife. Aaron didn’t know if their affair would survive that. But if he blew the affair, then he would finally have a chance at a real relationship with Robert.

There was no other way. This is how it had to be.

 

5 February 2015

It was difficult to get any amount of rest, knowing Robert was spending the night in the room next to his. Diane had offered to put him up, as it was traditional for the bride and groom to spend the eve before the wedding apart from one another. Aaron wanted nothing more than to go over and crawl into bed with Robert, and try to convince him to call off the wedding. When he thought back to the way the other man had spoken to him after he had stood him up, Aaron didn’t think it would be that easy to win him over. Robert had been so upset and hurt, he figured that it would take more than sex to make the other man thaw his attitude.

Aaron got up early and dressed himself. He left the pub before anyone else was even stirring. He found himself just taking a walk, trying to prepare himself for the drama that would surely come later. Of course there was going to be drama. He’d be outing Robert, and bringing a stop to a wedding.

Chrissie was about the last person he expected, or wanted, to run into as he walked. He didn’t even notice her at first. Aaron was lost in his own thoughts, staring down at the ground as he kept a quick pace. “You’re up early!” she called. Startled, Aaron came to a stop and looked up to find her about 6 yards in front of him, slowly strolling toward him.

“Yeah, I guess,” he finally said, staring at her. She looked windblown and chilled, huddled in her jacket as she walked. Even so, she looked happy. Today was her wedding day, and she wore a big smile as they finally drew even and stopped to chat.

“I meant to talk to you before this, but I got a bit caught up in wedding plans,” she told him.

“Alright.”

“I’d like to invite you to the wedding. I know it’s last minute, but I would be so happy if you came.” Chrissie cocked her head to the side, eyeing him as Aaron just stood there stupidly.

“What about Robert?” he finally asked, knowing he had to say something.

“I haven’t told him, but I’m sure he’d be pleased to have you there as well!” she assured him. Somehow, Aaron very much doubted that.

“But you hardly know me,” he told her.

“True, but you did help me find a car for Robert’s wedding present. Please say you’ll come?” He nodded, wondering how much she would hate him once she knew about the affair. It was difficult to imagine it. Chrissie had always been friendly toward him, but it was so easy to lose sight of that when he always felt like she was standing in his way. “I’ll see you later then, shall I?” she said, continuing her walk.

The exchange left him feeling more unsettled, and walking did nothing to put him at ease. He was in a dark mood when he finally returned to the pub. When he went through to the back, he found Robert sitting at the kitchen table. The sight was enough to remind Aaron why he was doing this. It felt good to see Robert sitting there, looking adorably sleep tousled. His blond hair was sticking up every which way, and the dressing robe he wore over his pajamas looked deliciously soft. Aaron wanted to see him like this every morning. Robert was watching the telly, chin propped on his hand, but he glanced over at Aaron when he heard him walk in.

“We need a chat. Not here,” Aaron told him.

“Morning,” Robert said, and then nodded toward the kitchen. “There’s tea in the pot.” Aaron stared at him with confusion. It wasn’t like Robert to just ignore what he said. Understanding came when Diane peaked out from the kitchen, drying a wet bowl with a towel.

“Hiya!” she said, smiling happily at him.

“Hiya.”

“It’s probably cold by now anyway,” Robert said. He looked up at Diane and stood. “I suppose I’d better go and get a shower.”

“Good idea! You’d never know he was getting married today,” she told Aaron. “Cool as a cucumber, this one!”

“Yeah? Well maybe he’s just good at hiding things,” Aaron said snarkily, clasping his hands behind his back and wearing an innocent expression.

“You might be onto something there, pet,” Diane said playfully, heading back to the kitchen. Robert was not amused, if the sour expression he wore was anything to go by. Aaron gave him a deliberate once over before raising an eyebrow at him and walking out. If there was one thing guaranteed to make Robert come find him, it was challenging him.

Aaron headed over to the garage and whiled away the time with Dan until he spotted Robert walking toward him. Aaron went to meet him. The blond was freshly dressed, and his hair looked soft in the way that newly washed hair often did. “So,” he said, “what is it that was so important?”

“You know,” Aaron told him. He took in the tired lines around Robert’s slightly reddened eyes. Maybe he should have snuck into Robert’s bed last night after all. They might have both gotten more sleep that way than they had managed apart. “This is what we both want,” he said.

Robert rolled his eyes. “I’m getting married. Today! When are you going to get it through your head?”

Aaron felt himself going red in the face. So, he wasn’t going to make it easy. Aaron should have expected that. “Look, yesterday I made a mess of things. I just don’t want things to end this way between us.”

“It’s fine,” Robert said, with a callous shrug. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s forgotten about. It doesn’t change anything. It’s over.”

“You can get away for half an hour, can’t you?” Aaron plead, looking into Robert’s eyes. The blond looked away, expression softening. Sensing the other man’s weakening resolve, he said, “Meet me at Wylie’s farm.”

“Sorry,” Robert said cruelly, but Aaron knew it was a last ditch effort to put him off.

“Please, Robert. Just one last goodbye,” he coaxed, knowing the lure of sex would tip the scales. It felt demeaning to beg Robert for half an hour of his time, but Aaron knew it was for a good reason. He needed to get proof for Katie, and then he’d have time to win Robert over, and get the other man to accept his sexuality. Whether he was gay or bi, Robert was clearly into men and couldn’t admit it. He couldn’t admit it to himself, or even to Aaron, the man he was having sex with. Paddy was right- Robert was confused. He was carrying on an affair with a man, and was hardly in the right position to be getting married and promising himself to a woman he was cheating on.

“Fine. But after that, it’s over. Alright?”

“Yeah, I know, you’re getting married. You don’t have to tell me again,” he said, finding the reminder painful.

“And you can handle that?” Robert questioned.

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Aaron demanded, starting to get angry.

“Well, it depends,” Robert said. The sudden hope Aaron felt at those words left him breathless. “If you really think you can accept this for what it is, then…”

“Then what?” Aaron asked, unable to stop himself from playing into Robert’s hands.

“Then maybe I was a bit too hard on you yesterday.” They looked at each other, and Aaron wondered if his own face looked as vulnerable as Robert’s did. “If you think you can handle it, then this doesn’t really have to be over.” Aaron looked away, needing to think, and finding that incredibly difficult to do while staring at Robert. “Meet me at Wylie’s later,” the blond man said.

“When?” Aaron asked, ignoring the fact that Robert was once again trying to take charge of things.

“I’ll text you.” Robert walked away, leaving Aaron in confusion.

What was he going to do now? Yesterday, when he had decided to blow the affair, he thought there was no chance of Robert giving him the time of day again. He thought he’d ruined it, and that Robert would climb back into the closet and stay there indefinitely after he got married. If Aaron had needed further proof that the other man had feelings for him, then he had it now. It hadn’t taken much convincing to get Robert to meet him one last time, and now the other man had officially put the offer on the table for Aaron to be his… mistress? Maybe there wasn’t a right word for it, but Robert wanted something long term with him. Maybe the offer of setting up the farmhouse on Wylie’s as their private meeting space was still on the table as well. Aaron knew that if he just had time to work on Robert, eventually he could convince him to leave Chrissie. He just had to show Robert what they could have together.

This morning, he’d thought that Chrissie was the last person he wanted to run into. When he walked into the cafe to grab some lunch, he decided that Katie had that distinction. “Hang on!” she called out to him as he walked past her to get to the counter. She abandoned her conversation with Pearl and walked up to him. “So? What’s the plan?” she asked.

Aaron fidgeted, finding it difficult to look her in the eye. She had told him yesterday that she didn’t want to be messed around, and now he was doing just that. “Yeah, look… About that- what I thought I knew, well, I was wrong,” he said, hoping she’d leave it at that. Of course she didn’t.

“You seemed pretty sure yesterday! What’s changed?” she asked, looking up at him in confusion.

“Just forget it, alright? Robert’s not having an affair.”

“Look, he’ll never know it came from you, alright? I promise. Just tell me what you know.”

“I guess I messed you around. I’m sorry. I think you need to let this go.”

“Yeah. Right,” she said, nodding. Her voice was tight with anger, and she turned on her heel to storm out, shoving past Chas who had just walked in.

“Charming,” his mum said, making Aaron feel worse. It wasn’t Katie’s fault. She’d been spot on about Robert, and no one believed her. Not even her husband or her best mate. “Bang out of order with me yesterday, she was! Obsessed with getting at Robert.”

“Right,” he said distractedly.

“So are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” he said unconvincingly.

“No? Oh good, I do enjoy these little chats of ours!” It was clear she knew something was underfoot, but Aaron was glad when she dropped it for the time being. He knew her too well to think she wouldn’t bring it up again later, so he ordered his lunch and made himself scarce.

He had only just finished eating when he got the text from Robert. Feeling nervous, Aaron drove to Wylie’s farm. He hadn’t been to the farmhouse in quite some time, and it was worse than he remembered. Sometime, long ago, it had been a home. It was hard to picture a family living in what now looked like a haunted house. It was a sad looking structure.

Getting out of his car, Aaron went inside to wait for Robert. It was cold and dark, and it was dirty. Most of the windows had been knocked out, allowing wildlife to go in and fix up their nests and beds. There was water damage on the ceilings, due to various leaks in the roof and the broken windows doing nothing to keep rain out. Aaron found the stairs and climbed to the second floor, exploring. Each step creaked ominously under his feet, and he was glad when he reached the upper level. The entire house seemed like one bad storm would knock it flat. 

And this was the house that Robert had wanted to set aside for their rendezvous? It was worse than the barn. This place was dreary and depressing. Maybe he was planning on fixing it up? Aaron allowed himself to imagine what that would be like, helping Robert renovate this place. Picking out paint together. Putting in furniture. Sleeping in a bed that was theirs. Eating meals together.

He heard Robert’s heavy footsteps on the stairs and turned to face him. He was a sight. Robert had chosen to show up in his wedding suit, and he looked fit in it. Aaron had never really thought about marriage before, but suddenly he could picture it. He’d be willing to tie the knot someday, if this was what he had to look forward to.

And then Robert ruined the moment by opening his mouth.

“I don’t have long.”

“So I can see,” Aaron said numbly. Robert was ready to leave here after they made up and walk down the aisle to marry Chrissie. Aaron kept his face averted while Robert walked up to him and raised a hand to his cheek. Even Aaron was surprised when he knocked Robert’s hand away, not allowing the touch.

“I thought this was what you wanted,” Robert said, frowning. Earlier, it had seemed like Robert was offering him more. But now that Aaron was here, it looked like he was just offering more of the same. Just meeting up in cold, dirty places to have sex, and then Robert would turn around and go back to his perfect little life. “I don’t believe it,” Robert said, frustrated.

“Please don’t get married!” Aaron begged, unable to stop himself. This was his last chance to speak up for what he wanted.

“Aaron, come on!” Robert said angrily. 

“I-I thought I could handle it,” Aaron told him, feeling like he was breaking apart. The tears were building in his eyes. “But I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry you can’t call off the wedding?” he asked, stupidly hoping for Robert to come to his senses.

“No, I’m sorry you can’t accept the way things are,” Robert told him, causing Aaron to look away from him. He’d never felt so torn up in his life. “I don’t want this to be over either.”

“You say that stood there in your wedding suit!” Aaron pointed out, anger rising inside him. Rage felt almost soothing after the pain of rejection.

“Don’t play the injured party here,” Robert told him, shaking his head. “You knew what you were getting into. You knew the situation.”

“Unlike Chrissie,” Aaron agreed, glaring at Robert. “Do you know that poor cow’s actually invited me to her wedding? Nice of her, isn’t it?” Aaron asked as the blond man shifted uncomfortably in front of him. “Me being her fiance’s gay lover!”

“Aaron, please!” Robert warned. “I love her-”

“Come off it, Robert!” Aaron interrupted, sick of hearing that tired tale again. “Stop lying to yourself! Do you really think I’m about to stand around and watch you make the biggest mistake of your life?”

“Why are you so determined to make this harder than it needs to be?” Robert demanded, staring at Aaron like he couldn’t figure it out.

“Because I love you!” Aaron confessed, brokenly. “That’s why! And I think you feel the same.” Robert turned away from him, not saying a word. Aaron felt unsure then, where he had been so certain earlier that Robert had feelings for him as well. “Don’t tell me I’m wrong,” he said, trying to mask his doubts. “I know how I feel-”

“You’re confused,” Robert told him, swinging around to face him.

“No, you’re the one who’s confused. Trust me, I’ve been there!”

“Aaron, not this again!” Robert protested. “Look, I’m not like you.”

“So what are you then?”

“I don’t need to put myself in a box to know who I am. This - us - it isn’t real!”

That was about the stupidest thing to come out of the older man’s mouth today. “Well it feels pretty real to me,” he said firmly.

“I’m getting married,” Robert told him. “Today. I’m sorry, but that’s my reality.”

“Do you know what, I get it,” Aaron said. “It’s hard to admit who you really are after all this time, but you’ll never be happy until you do.”

“Oh, because you’re a regular little ray of sunshine?” Robert mocked him. “I’m not some confused, tortured kid who hates who he is. I love Chrissie!” Aaron looked up at that, hardly believing he’d heard Robert correctly. Was he seriously taking a dig at Aaron’s past right now?

“Yet it’s me you need for sex. And I’m a man.” Aaron shook his head, looking into the face of the man he loved. It was a stranger staring back. “And I’m not the first,” he added, still trying to get through to him.

“Which just goes to prove that this isn’t a love story,” Robert told him, unaware or unconcerned about how his words were hurting Aaron.

“Well whatever you think this is, it’s not going to go away, you know,” Aaron said, wiping a tear from his cheek. “And what happens when Chrissie finds out? Because she will, soon enough.”

“Please tell me that isn’t a threat,” Robert warned him, giving him a look.

“No,” Aaron said, disgusted. “I don’t want to ruin your life. You’ll do that all by yourself if you marry her- or worse, you’ll ruin hers as well!”

“I hope you find what you’re looking for. Because I have.” Aaron backed away, feeling the tears run down his cheeks. He wiped at them furiously. “In a couple hours from now, she’s going to be my wife. My drop dead gorgeous wife!”

“Just listen to yourself!” The poor bastard sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than Aaron.

“No, Aaron, you listen to me!” Robert shouted. “We’re done. Got it? It’s over!”

“You don’t mean that.” This confrontation had made Aaron question many things, but he couldn’t start questioning that. Robert was fighting this too hard. If Aaron had been wrong about any of what he was saying, the other man would have walked out a long time ago instead of standing here arguing. The look Robert gave him before he turned and walked away only made Aaron more sure of it. The blond had looked at the fresh tears on Aaron’s face, and he looked torn for a split second before he turned away.

Robert was too stubborn to do himself a favor and admit his feelings. He was too greedy for money and power to call off the wedding. Robert wasn’t a bad man, but he was confused, and his priorities had always been mixed up. If he wasn’t going to help himself, then Aaron would have to do it for him. The fact that Robert had been so cruel just now only made it easier for Aaron to pull his phone out from his pocket and text Katie.

“Wylie’s farm now.” This wasn’t how he preferred to do this, but Robert was being thickheaded. Aaron hit send before he could rethink it and tried to compose himself for a few seconds before he went after Robert. He was going to have to distract the other man until Katie came. This would be one last test. If Aaron could get Robert to stick around this dump when he should be headed for the church to get married, then he would have his last bit of proof that Robert had feelings for him. A man eager to be married to the woman he loved wouldn’t stay here one minute longer than necessary.

“Robert!” he called, heading toward the stairs and starting to walk down. “Robert!” The blond hadn’t headed down the stairs after all. He had just gone into a different room in the upstairs.

“Get out of the way,” Robert said. Aaron was standing in front of the stairs, blocking the way down.

Climbing back up the two stairs he had gone down, Aaron said, “That must be your motto, that. Why is it you treat people like dirt?”

“Spare me the lecture,” Robert said, turning away and walking back into the room they had started out in. Aaron used the moment to glance down the stairs when he heard a noise. Was that Katie already? If so, she had to have been on the property when he texted her. Not too surprising, given that she and Andy had been dreaming of having Wylie’s for their own.

“Alright, fine,” Aaron said, going after him. His heart felt like it had taken up residence in his throat. If that was Katie down there, then this was it. There was really no turning back now. He had to distract Robert enough that he wouldn’t hear the old stairs creaking as Katie went up. “You know I’ve never been big on a chat anyway!” he said loudly, grabbing Robert’s arm and pulling him close.

“What are you doing?” Robert demanded, jerking his face away before Aaron could kiss him.

“What does it look like?”

“Make your mind up, Aaron,” Robert told him, suddenly seeming more settled. He thought he had the upper hand now that Aaron was chasing after him. That was just so Robert. It was always about control with that one.

“That’s a bit rich coming from you, isn’t it?” Aaron asked, shifting on his feet to bring them a hairsbreadth closer. Just like that, the tension suddenly seemed to shiver in the air between them. There was no denying their chemistry. Aaron looked up into that handsome face, and the Robert he loved finally put in an appearance. Maybe the casual observer would miss it, but Aaron had held every inch of this man. It was obvious to him when the rigid tension left Robert’s shoulders. The frown lines on his face softened, and those green-blue eyes started to roam over Aaron’s face.

“You know, I never really thought about your feelings when all of this started. I didn’t really think feelings came into it,” Robert said. He was still being an ass, but he hadn’t stepped away. He let Aaron inch his way closer.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Aaron agreed, tilting his chin up and watching Robert’s gaze focus on his lips. “And now?”

“The truth is for me, they still don’t,” he said without feeling.

“I don’t believe you,” Aaron murmured, knowing how Robert seemed to get turned on whenever he lowered his voice like that.

“Well, that’s your problem.”

He drew closer still, loving the way Robert moved with him, his body putting a lie to his words by readily accommodating Aaron into his personal space. “Doesn’t really matter, though,” Aaron whispered, tilting his head for a kiss. It was unstoppable. It felt so right to close that distance. Robert met him halfway, lips eager and hot against Aaron’s, a strong hand cradling his head to hold him in place.

Somehow, he’d managed to forget that Katie was on her way up until he heard the shutter sound of her phone taking a picture. Both of them turned to face her. “Well, this is a surprise,” she said smugly, smiling as she lowered her phone and eyed them.

“It was a fling, alright?” Robert said quickly. “It meant nothing.”

“Stop lying,” Aaron told him, frustrated.

“You’re embarrassing yourself,” Robert told him, glancing angrily at him over his shoulder.

“She just saw us! Admit it!”

“Do you know what, I’m going to leave,” Katie said, hitching her thumb back to point at the stairs behind her. “So… carry on as you were.” Katie turned to walk away, as if she expected them to start making out again.

“Don’t move!” Robert warned her, making Katie turn back to face them.

“This is your way out, Robert,” Aaron told him. “Just take it!”

“I don’t want a way out,” Robert said. He turned to look at Aaron over his shoulder again. “I want to marry Chrissie!”

Aaron stared at him, shocked. He’d done all this to give Robert an opportunity to be real with himself, and the idiot was just going to waste it. He was going to stand here lying, even though neither Aaron or Katie believed a word of it. “You know what? Fine!” Aaron snapped, heading toward Katie and the stairs behind her.

“If you say anything to anyone!” Robert called out threateningly. He sounded pathetic.

“Yeah, then what?” Aaron asked darkly, giving Robert a menacing glare. That shut him right up. Aaron looked at him in disgust. “I wouldn’t waste my time!”

Aaron spent the drive back to the pub wondering how he could have been so stupid. Robert might care for him, but in the end he was a frightened coward. He deserved everything he had coming to him. Aaron’s phone rang as he parked his car by the pub. It was Robert. He sighed, and almost decided to ignore the call. Frustrated, he picked up and said, “What?”

“Something’s happened,” Robert said, sounding cut up.

“So she’s told Chrissie then?” he asked, not feeling the least bit sympathetic.

“You have to come back!” Robert said.

Aaron thought he knew where this was headed. “No, I’m not lying for you,” he said before Robert could ask.

“Please, I need you,” Robert begged “It’s really bad, please come back!”

Something was wrong. Robert didn’t sound right. Worried, Aaron hung up and looked at his phone for a moment. Suddenly feeling sick, he turned the car back on and buckled his seat belt. He sped back to Wylie’s farm, wondering what had happened after he’d left. He parked the car and rushed inside, looking for Robert.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” Robert said, standing up from where he was crouched near some rubble. He looked almost like he was in shock, staring blankly at Aaron.

“Why are you even still here?”

Robert stared at him for a second, and then moved aside and turned to face the rubble he had been hunched over. Aaron followed Robert’s gaze. What he saw chilled him. In the middle of that mess was Katie, just laying there, her body alarmingly still. “She fell. We were talking. We sorted everything out, and the floor just… collapsed,” Robert said, sounding numb. 

“So then why have you phoned me?” Aaron asked, panicking and wondering why the hell Robert wasn’t more frantic. “She needs an ambulance!”

“I-It’s too late for an ambulance,” Robert said, looking at him. Aaron stared at Robert, horrified, and then looked down at Katie. No, at Katie’s body. She was dead. That’s what Robert was trying to tell him. Covering his mouth, Aaron turned away, sick to his stomach. Feeling like he was about to wretch, Aaron stumbled back outside, unable to look at Katie’s body for one more second.

Robert followed him out. Aaron could hear him talking, but he couldn’t focus on a single word the man was saying. He kept swallowing, trying hard not to vomit. “We should never have come here,” he finally moaned.

“She should never have come here!” Robert exclaimed, finally sounding panicked.

Now Aaron was the one who was numb with shock. “What happened when I left?” he wondered.

Robert shrugged, holding his hands out and then letting them fall to slap against his thighs. “We talked! I told her everything. Sh-she said she was going to keep quiet. She even deleted the photo!” Robert rubbed at his mouth looking like he couldn’t believe what had happened. “She stood right next to me! The floor just gave way! I tried to grab her, but it all happened too quick!”

“Right, er…” Aaron said, trying to get his brain to start working. The shock was making it hard to think. He started to pat his pockets, looking for his phone. “We need to phone Andy!” He saw Robert shake his head and look away. “Well you have to tell him!” Aaron yelled. “And the police! We need to phone the police!”

“Okay,” Robert mumbled, rubbing his forehead in resignation as Aaron took out his phone and went into his contacts for Andy’s number. Suddenly Robert straightened and held out a hand to stop Aaron. “W-w-w-what if they think I did something?” he stuttered, clearly frightened.

Aaron stared at him for a moment, starting to freak out. “W-why would they?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not supposed to be here, Aaron!” Robert said, seeming to regain his focus and snap out of his own shock. “I’m supposed to be getting married! That’s going to look bad, right?”

“We’ll tell them the truth!”

“I don’t think they’re going to believe the truth, Aaron,” Robert told him. “She caught us together. She was threatening to tell Chrissie. And now she’s dead! Me and her haven’t been getting on for weeks. She told people I torched the caravan!”

“Why would she do that?” Aaron asked, trying to make sense of what Robert was telling him.

“Because she hated me!” Robert covered his face with both hands, shaking his head. Finally he lowered his hands and said, “I’m going to prison.”

Aaron looked at him. “No you’re not.”

“I’m going to prison,” Robert repeated, nodding his head. “If Andy doesn’t kill me first!”

“Look, they’ll do tests or whatever. They’ll see that the floor was wrecked!”

Robert turned to look at him, expression turning hopeful. “You could say you saw it! You could say you’re a witness.”

Aaron cringed. “What? No!”

“No,” Robert agreed, looking downcast. “They’ll think it was both of us.” Aaron stared at him, freaked out. Robert’s phone rang, and he took it out to check it. “It’s Vic. She’s been ringing me nonstop. What should I do?”

Aaron looked at him, wondering if he was serious. “You should phone the police!”

“Or… we could just… go.”

Aaron stared at him, stunned. “What, and leave her here?”

“There’s no one here. There’ll be no questions! They’ll work out it was an accident!”

“You need to phone Andy and tell him his wife’s dead,” Aaron said. He had started to tear, but his words were firm.

“What, and go to prison? Just because you wanted to out me?” Robert demanded angrily. “Because you were selfish and jealous and you couldn’t stand to see me get married?”

“I never knew that this would happen,” Aaron said, thrown by the blame Robert was assigning him.

“You brought her here.”

The guilt came swiftly, and it was staggering. “I-I’m sorry,” Aaron said, realizing Robert was right. This would never have happened if not for him.

“Well if you’re sorry, you’ll help me,” Robert said, like he was throwing him a lifeline. Aaron turned away, needing a moment to come to terms with this.

“She didn’t deserve this,” he finally said.

“She fell. Nothing we can do now changes that.”

“It’s not that easy, is it?” Aaron demanded, turning back to face Robert. Why wasn’t he getting this? There was a woman lying dead in there, and it was because of them. It was because of their affair. It was because of Robert not being able to admit he was into men, and Aaron being too jealous to let him go. If Katie had died naturally, that would be one thing. But this? This was going to stay with them for the rest of their lives. When they closed their eyes at night, this is what would be there waiting for them. “It stays with you up here!” he said, pointing at his head. “When Jackson died-”

“That was different!” Robert interrupted him. “And you got through it.” He said it like it had been easy for Aaron. There were scars on his body to prove how wrong Robert was.

“Yeah, because I told the truth! Because I didn’t leave him lying there like he doesn’t matter!”

“Of course she matters,” Robert said, getting in Aaron’s face. “That’s not what this is about.”

Aaron looked away, trying to hold tears back as the enormity of what was happening settled in. “She’s my mum’s best mate,” he told Robert, gutted. “She’s your sister-in-law!”

“You think that’s going to matter when the police get involved?” Robert asked him.

“Will you stop thinking about yourself for one second!” Aaron screamed, hardly able to stand it. It was like the other man was incapable of seeing anything beyond the fact that he might get arrested.

“Hey, it’s not just me that can go to prison here, Aaron!”

“Yeah, well thanks for bringing me back to that.”

“I panicked, okay? I’m sorry!”

Aaron looked around desperately, wondering what the right thing to do was. Every option seemed wrong, except the one that involved them telling the truth about everything. “Anyway, i-it’s like you said. It- it was an accident. We didn’t do anything wrong!” Surely the police would see the truth for themselves when they came.

“You think they’ll listen to that?” Robert asked. Aaron was gasping for breath, trying to stop his tears. “What’s it going to do to your mum? To us?”

If the police arrested him, that was it. He was on a suspended sentence. As saddened as his mum would be to learn that Katie had died because Aaron had brought her here, she’d be devastated if Aaron was locked up for something he hadn’t done.

He was out of options.

“You go,” Aaron finally said, hating himself. “Get married.”

“I’m not leaving you here,” Robert said.

“Just go! I’ll sort this place out. There’ll be footprints, and fingerprints. We need to make sure there’s no sign of us being here. Don’t worry, I won’t change my mind,” he told Robert, sickened by what he was doing.

Robert was quiet for a moment, like he was thinking. Finally, he said, “You swear you won’t say a word?”

Aaron nodded, looking at Robert with loathing. All he could feel while looking into that handsome face, and those blue-green eyes was hatred. “I’m getting used to keeping secrets.”

“No, I meant it, Aaron!” He finally nodded. Robert turned his back, got in his Austin-Healey, and drove away. He left Aaron alone at Wylie’s farm to cover up their mess. Because that’s what Katie had turned into. Death had robbed her of her identity as Andy’s wife as Chas’ best mate. Now she was just a mess that needed to be cleaned up so that Robert and Aaron could continue living their lives. She was a loose end that needed tying so they wouldn’t get locked up.

That was how Aaron found himself wiping away all signs that showed Katie hadn’t come here by herself. He was quick and efficient, doing his best to ignore the cooling body sprawled in a heap of garbage. When Aaron finally drove back into the village, he was the mess. His clothes were coated in dust, and his face was wet with tears. He went inside, finding the place thankfully quiet with all the Sugden family gone to the wedding. His mum was working the bar in Diane’s absence, and he was grateful. He had no doubt that she’d know something was wrong after she took one look at him.

In a daze, Aaron pulled his clothes off and changed into his suit. It was the same one he’d worn at Katie and Andy’s wedding. He tossed his dirty clothes into the wash and headed for the church on foot. He felt like the worst kind of joke, reaching out to open the door of a church with the same hands that had just covered up Katie’s death. If there was any justice, he’d burst into flames the moment he stepped inside. Aaron opened the door, the heavy metal latch sounding loudly and making everyone inside turn to face him.

He had interrupted the ceremony.

Aaron stood there awkwardly for a moment, wondering if they could all guess what he’d done just by looking at his guilty face. He snapped out of it when Leyla hurried up to him and grabbed his arm, her grip surprisingly strong as she tugged him over to a seat. She shoved him down, and Aaron sat there numbly, his eyes on Robert as the blond turned back to Chrissie. He seemed to struggle for words, trying to pick up where he’d left off when Aaron had barged in.

There was just no more room inside of Aaron to feel added pain at this. He never thought he would be able to witness Robert giving his vows to Chrissie and feel absolutely nothing. Yet there he sat, staring at the couple and feeling achingly empty. All he could think as he looked at them was that Robert didn’t look at all well. Aaron may have flipped out then and there, in front of everyone, if the other man had managed to pull himself together after what they’d just seen and done.

“... to love and to cherish til…” Robert managed only a handful of words before he seemed to freeze. Aaron was the only one present who could guess why. Yes, even Robert couldn’t walk away from Katie’s corpse and pretend like it had never happened. But he seemed to gather himself after Ashley prompted him with the words. Robert finished his vows, staring at Chrissie as if she were his salvation. “Til death us do part.”

All Aaron could see for a moment was Katie’s lifeless body, covered in dirt, blue eyes cracked open, their color dimmed and glassy. When his vision cleared, he found Robert looking at him. Aaron was too miserable to care that the other man’s eyes kept straying back to him as he made his way down the aisle with the new Mrs. Sugden hanging happily on his arm. The wedding party headed to Home Farm to celebrate, and Aaron found himself dragged along by Vic and Diane. He wasted no time in snagging a drink for himself when he got there, tossing it back before grabbing a second. Robert kept sneaking glances at him as Andy gave the best man’s speech.

Then the music started, and the thrashing, joyful bodies surrounding him were so at odds with the turmoil inside that it felt unreal. Aaron knew he was drinking too much, but he couldn’t stop himself. He kept tossing back whatever was handed to him, until he finally felt like the cold shock was wearing off. The alcohol warmed him, and he tried to enjoy that small relief. That is, until Chas appeared. Aaron caught sight of her nearby and tried to put distance and bodies between them. He inadvertently headed straight toward Robert.

The blond was standing in front of the French doors leading out to the lawn. The glass was covered with swathes of sheer white fabric that had tittle white lights strewn behind it. Aaron approached him reluctantly, his grip tightening on the empty glass in his hand. “Did you get it sorted, yeah?” Robert asked as Aaron came to a stop next to him. Aaron couldn’t bring himself to say anything, so he just nodded. He didn’t know whether to be grateful or upset when Robert just nodded back and walked away.

He grabbed another glass and found a wall to lean up against, trying to drink himself into oblivion. He was glad his mouth wasn’t full when Andy passed by him, holding his phone to his ear, or he’d have spit his drink. “Hello, Katie?” Andy said, making Aaron’s head come up. For a crazy moment, he thought that somehow he and Robert had gotten it all wrong, and that Katie was alive and well and talking to Andy. His hopes were dashed when he realized Andy was just leaving a message. “It’s me. Er, I’m at the wedding and… well, I’m missin ya!” He left his spot against the wall and trailed Andy, struggling to hear him over the blaring music. Andy passed by Robert, and Aaron saw the blond turn to stare at his brother as he left a message for his dead wife.

“I just want to get things right with us, and never fall out with you again,” Andy said, making Aaron’s chest ache with remorse for the part he had played in Katie’s death. All he wanted to do was go up to Andy and tell him where she was. He couldn’t bare the thought of her left unfound all night. “You mean the world to me, Katie. Just give me a call back, or better still, come and find me. Love you,” Andy said, ending the call.

Robert gave Aaron a look behind Andy’s back. He wasn’t sure what the other man wanted him to do. Apparently though, they weren’t the only ones eavesdropping on Andy’s call. Sam was there in front of Andy. “If you’re after Katie, she went riding earlier, on her way up to yours.”

“What, Wylie's?” Andy asked, surprised.

“Yeah. That were ages ago though.”

“I’ll check it out,” Andy said, clapping Sam on the arm. “Thanks, mate!”

Aaron felt himself panicking. Of course he wanted Katie found, but not by Andy! He shouldn’t have to see his wife like that, broken and lifeless on the floor of what was supposed to have been their new home. Aaron knew he had to do something, but Robert beat him there. The blond came up behind Andy and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Hold on! You’re not going out there, are you?” Robert said, pointing vaguely at the doors.

“Yeah, I won’t be long,” Andy promised, completely oblivious to the alarm Robert was no doubt experiencing just then.

“Come on, you’ve been drinking!” Robert said.

“Well, not that much!” Catching sight of Aaron standing behind Robert, Andy nodded at him. “Hey, make sure not to drink all the beer while I’m gone!” The two men watched helplessly as Andy walked out. Robert turned to face him, but Aaron didn’t know what to say. What could he say?

It was only a matter of time now.

If he thought it had been difficult to while away the time yesterday while he was supposed to be meeting Robert at the barn, it was nothing to this. He was sweating, and his hands couldn’t stop shaking. Unable to bare having Robert look at him, Aaron turned away, walking aimlessly around the room as he waited. He kept his phone in his hand, checking the time repeatedly. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Twenty. Aaron stood by the bar and ordered himself a shot, letting it burn down his throat. Robert stood nearby, waiting it out with Aaron.

And then it happened. Victoria was in the middle of the dance floor, and suddenly she stopped moving. She glanced at her phone, and then moved off to the side as she answered a call. Aaron felt like he could hardly breath as he watched the back of her. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew this was it. He watched her turn, her eyes wide and stricken as they searched for something. Someone. Vic’s eyes found Robert, and she hurried toward him. Aaron watched her grab her brother’s arm and start tugging him along while he bent down to listen to her speak.

He wanted to go with them, but that would look weird. Aaron stayed where he was, heart beating wildly in his chest as he waited another twenty minutes for Robert or Vic to report the news. The alcohol was turning his stomach. He stood there, propped against the bar and doing his best to look normal. He must have succeeded, because his mum came up to him and playfully squeezed his cheeks.

Aaron batted her hands away, unable to deal with it. He couldn’t take it anymore. Not the smiling, laughing people around him, not the loud music, not his mum, not Robert, not the horrible thoughts in the head. Aaron rushed outside, trying to catch his breath and failing. He felt panicked. He felt like his world had just ended. Aaron smashed the glass in his hand against the gravel, watching it break into pieces- like he was breaking apart, inside.

He stared at the shards for a moment, then bent and picked up one the size of a coin. Aaron wrapped his hand around it, squeezing it tight in his fist. His breath hissed as the glass cut cruelly into his palm. It hurt, but he could finally breathe. The air rushed into his lungs as the pain streaked through his hand. He could feel hot blood making the glass slip in his grip. It was wrong of him, he knew it, but for the first time since he’d seen Katie lying in a pile of rubble, Aaron could push aside the panic and the fear and just focus for a moment.

Hearing a commotion, Aaron crouched down behind the car he was standing next to. He pressed his back against it, gasping in the cold air as he heard Diane yell. “I’ll tell you in the car, love! Just drive!”

He didn’t know who was with her, but he could guess where they were going.

He tightened his fist, feeling the glass shred his skin. Aaron gasped as the shard snapped under the pressure of his fingers, cutting in deeper.

This was what he deserved. This was what he needed.

His life was never going to be the same. Not after this. Aaron stared up at the grey clouds above, feeling the tears run hotly from his eyes. He felt his chest moving with each lungful of air he took in. His heart was beating hard in his chest. His hand was throbbing with every beat.

Aaron was so horribly, perfectly alive. Right at that moment, he could only wish that he wasn’t. He wished that he was dead. His fingers tightened, splitting his skin against the glass. Closing his eyes, Aaron wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate leaving Aaron like that, but you can't change canon. Which is why I'm taking a break from this, and branching out into AU for Robron. Check back in with me if you're interested!
> 
> Peace


End file.
